Dangan Ronpa: The Courage of Hope and The Strength of Despair
by adzan
Summary: (syoc CLOSED)After the destruction of SHSL Despair's plans at Hope's Peak Academy, the Remnants of Despair are ready for their plan on Jabberwock Island. However, deep in the depth of Despair lies other members with other plans. Now 16 students awaken to find themselves trapped by a mysterious mastermind for a deadly game of mutual killing. So, how strong is the power of your hope?
1. Ch Zer0: Anonymous Anticipation

**UPDATE: This syoc is closed as of April 11th 2015. A big thank you to those who participated and I apologize to those who didn't make it in time.**

**a/n: Hello! This is my first SYOC story and I hope for a lot of people to participate in this. I will do my best to make this an entertaining read. So for the starting chapter I've written a little piece into the eyes of the mastermind and their scheme. Threw in a tiny reference to Dangan Ronpa 2 at the end there too! Rules are at the bottom :)**

**Also, the words in Bold, Italics and Underline encased in {= =} are the title of tracks from Danganronpa 1 &amp; 2's ost. It is just a suggestion for the reading background music that I hope would set the mood. You can ignore it if you don't like it :)**

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**Chapter Zer0**

**Anonymous Anticipation**

**.**

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{=_**Despair Syndrome**_=}

I stir my tea gently as I stare up at the wall of security monitors in front of me. Sitting in the glow of the monitors, I take a slow sip from my cup as I leaned in further in my chair. The soft velvet felt really comfortable as I relish my moment of triumph. Why, you ask? Well because right in front of my eyes I am watching a very devilishly delicious scene unfolding. On the screen, the silhouettes of various people chained down to hospital beds are seen struggling on separate monitors. Some of them are merely just lying there with their eyes open, as if they had given up. My lips can't help but curl into a smile as I observe their defeated spirits.

_Yes, can you feel it? Don't you realize how lucky you all are? Oh what I would give to feel such a heavy dose of… Despair!_

My body tingles with excitement as I reach that word. Soon they will be ready for the alliteratively wonderful 'Memory Manipulation Machine' which has been tested to perfection by our despairingly charming leader. I scoff as I set down the cup of tea down on the large control panel in front of me when the thought of our once proud leader surfaces. How disappointing that such a fate had befallen her, foiled by her own drive to plunge the world into further despair. But I suppose it is precisely because of that reason that I am now able to experience further despair.

_Oh how I despise her so much! It drives me crazy how much I hate this. I hate her. So much…_

Now of course one would say she isn't really dead. Her plans weren't completely foiled, merely delayed by a couple of unexpected hindrances. Some of the other SHSL Despairs are already executing her back-up plan as of this moment, getting picked up by the super lame Future Foundation for some top secret covert mission or something.

I frown slightly as I remember that the mighty Enoshima herself didn't reveal to me that part of her plan. However it is likely she did not reveal my plans to the other Remnants of Despairs either. We all have our own goals distributed among us and I do not plan to fail mine. Yes, I shall take extra measures to ensure my game of mutual killing is a success.

I push a button on the control panel the speakers next to it crackle with static.

"I am ready," I say with a delicate tone.

_Just a little longer… before I can taste a despair of my own creation._

Soon my fellow peers in Despair shall arrive to take the poor helpless hostages away. They will be taken to the enhanced version of the device that the mighty Enoshima had used to wipe away the memories of her classmates' school years, and they will undergo a transformation that has already been utilized in the pages of our history. Well, it's not quite the exact same situation.

'_Why' you ask? Well… Because it's not the same machine duh! _

I let out a brief giggle at my cute little monologue which slowly evolved into a maniacal shriek of laughter. I laugh long and hard as I watch my little patients squirm in their beds, trying to escape as my fellow peers have already entered their rooms and started to wheel them out. I rise up from my chair and throw myself on the wall of monitors. In my arms, I feel the cold metal and glass against my skin shake as my laugh echoes throughout the empty dark room, my shoulders rising and falling in uneven momentum. I look to one of the screens which contain one of the more physically built prisoners and my laughter starts to die down. He's struggling so hard that the whole bed is teetering left and right.

_Why… if he keeps this up then he'll-_

As if on cue, he tips his bed over and he crashes to the floor with a deafening crash. Well at least I imagine it would be loud, my monitors only record video and not audio. Nonetheless, that was enough to set me off again and I let out even louder roar of laughter as I collapse back into my seat. The scene that I just witnessed was so hysterically predictable that it felt almost like a cliché. I had been kicking so hard that I didn't realize I had kicked my teacup off the table when I heard the glass shattering on the floor. Oh well that doesn't matter now; I can always just get a new one.

"Are you done?" said a voice from behind me.

Just as I've been practicing, I slowly swivel my chair around 180 degrees.

"How'd you like my big reveal? Was it ominous and menacing enough?" I ask jokingly.

"Save it for the other kids. I've got other business to attend to you know,"

"Ah, as diligent as ever I see. Alright, I wouldn't want to keep you from your tropical vacation anyways,"

I get up from my chair and straighten out my shirt before proceeding to walk towards the figure in front of me.

_Soon, everything will fall into place…_

"Hit me with your best shot," I wink and put my hands on my hips.

_Soon, I will be able to get a taste of that despair she felt…_

I close my eyes in anticipation for the blow to my head for a few seconds before it hits me. It hits me really fast but just as fast as the pain comes, it goes just like that. In fact everything starts to go. I lose every sensation in my body as it goes numb and my mind starts to go dark. The last thing I feel is gravity pulling me down as I collapse onto the cold metal floor.

_Soon, upupupu..._

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**Chapter End**

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**a/n: Hope you enjoyed that small piece :D Now let's get onto business. I'm going to start out by laying out a few rules in my SYOC ok?**

** 1\. Please only send me OCs through PM. I will not accept those sent by reviews as they are strictly as their name suggest.**

** 2\. I want OCs with Japanese names as this takes place in Japan. I will allow foreign exchange students but not a lot, maybe 2 at most.**

** 3\. I will be referring to the student's titles as Super High School Level (SHSL) instead of Ultimates.**

** 4\. I will be following the structure of the games such as: Daily Life, Deadly Life, Class Trials and Free Time events; as closely as I can. (bless my soul for ****trying to describe words flying across the screen being shot down by verbal bullets)**

** 5\. A reminder that there is no guarantee that your OC will make it out alive as I will write based on how I feel the characters would interact with each other.**

**Just like monokuma I'll be adding new rules if I see fit.  
**

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**HOPE'S PEAK ACADEMY STUDENT ROSTER****:**

**Males:**

**1\. Yuuta Hirota - SHSL Marksman**

**2\. Kuno Okura - SHSL Espionage**

**3\. Seijun Higashi - SHSL Prosecutor**

**4\. Akio Komiya - SHSL Occult Club Member**

**5\. Tetsu Mastada - SHSL Blacksmith**

**6\. Tsubasa Yukata - SHSL Finger Painter**

**7\. Fujiwara Taiki - SHSL Memorizer**

**8\. ****Kenta Shintaka - SHSL Martial Artist**

**Females:**

**1\. Makoto Shirogane - SHSL Sukeban**

**2\. ****Akiko Takumi - SHSL Billiards Player**

**3\. Megumi Tsuji - SHSL Artificer**

**4\. Kimiko Sanazawa - SHSL Hollywood Star**

**5\. ****Yên-Vân Lý - SHSL Escrimador**

**6\. Hibiki Yukata - SHSL Hair Dresser**

**7\. ****Ryoka Nakami - SHSL Chess Player**

**8\. Kotone Oshiro - SHSL Make-up Artist**


	2. Prologue: Meet Your Classmates!

**a/n: Hello everyone, I just want thank all of those who read my first chapter again. I really appreciate you guys :D Anyways, here's the first part of the prologue with the character introductions. I tried my best to stay true to the characters but I do apologize if I deviated somewhat. Also, I'm gonna set the updates to every Sunday between noon to evening at GMT+8 time, which is about 12 to 13 hours earlier than the current time in the US, I think. Happy reading guys :)**

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** Prologue:**

**Meet Your Classmates!**

**.**

* * *

"Yuuta?"

The stern voice of my father causes my concentration to falter and in the last few seconds before I pull the trigger my aim shifts by a few degrees. The rubber bullet from my toy gun whizzes past my teddy bear's head, narrowly missing its left ear, and sticks on the wall. I frown a little in annoyance of wasting a perfect shot. I toss the toy gun aside and got up from my bed, stretching a little while yawning. It was a little before noon but I was in no hurry to do anything on this lazy weekend.

"Yuuta? There's a letter addressed to you. I think you might want to hurry out here,"

The moment I heard that I immediately perked up. That letter could only mean one thing. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and today it has finally arrived. I hasten my pace as I leave my room and headed downstairs to where I found my father sitting at the lounge chair holding a bunch of envelopes. I wished him good morning before proceeding to pick up a letter that had a certain symbol on it; the symbol of hope for the nation and possibly the world; the logo of Hope's Peak Academy. I was mesmerized by it and could only stand there in disbelief.

Noticing my hesitance my father teased me "If you keep this up, I swear when I sit on this chair going through next month's bills you'll still be here,"

"Oh, y-yeah… sorry dad, I'm just a little bit scared," I say. I have to admit that I'm not exactly a person who's brimming with self-confidence.

"Son, you have nothing to be afraid of," he reaches in and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You're an amazing shot and I'm sure the scouts at Hope's Peak Academy would agree to that fact. You just need to believe in yourself," He pats my shoulder and proceeds back to his letters.

My dad is without a doubt my best friend. Some of you may think that it's a little pathetic or sad but I don't believe in that way of thinking. Sure I may not be very good at socializing and in the past, I've also experienced my fair share of being at the receiving end of bullies, but my dad was always there to pick me up and in fact it was because of him that I've developed my talent greatly.

That's right; my talent is the Super High School Level Marksman… Or at least that's what I'll be IF I get accepted into Hope's Peak Academy.

I gave my dad a meek nod and proceed to open the envelope gingerly. The pristine white letter only accentuates the black symbol of this prestigious academy.

Hope's Peak Private Academy is its official name but it's also called "The Academy of Hope" as it's a government-sanctioned school dedicated to raising the "Hope" of the future. As exaggerated as that sounds, it's not short of its commercial tagline. There is not a single alumnus of Hope's Peak Academy who is not employed in major companies holding high-ranking positions all over the world.

I flip the top of the flap and slowly shake the content out. A white piece of paper that is folded up neatly drops into my hand.

There are two requirements to be a student at Hope's Peak and that is to already be a high school student and be at the top of your field of expertise. There are no entrance exams, interviews or any applicable way from the outside. In other words, you don't join the academy; the academy finds you. Scouts are utilized by the academy and sent all over Japan to evaluate potential students and only the best of the best get recruited by the academy. I just had my evaluation session 2 weeks ago.

"Take it easy son, it's just a letter. No matter what the outcome is we'll support you all the way. This letter doesn't define you, you know? I mean it's not like it's the end of the world,"

"Right, I'm gonna read it now," I gave him a smile and unfolded the paper in my hands. Here goes nothning…

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.

_Dear YUUTA HIROTA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,_

_We regret to inform you that- We- - - - - We- - We .. …. –WWWWWWWWWWWWWW-…. -. …regret t… .._-_-,,,, ,,,,, ,,, did no- t quaq-ua-quaq-uau_quuau-qliyf,,,,,,,,,,-Yyyyouuu-..._-. .- . .-We reg r etr egret to inforfailedevaluationm yo - _ . . _ . - . _ - _ . . … tahtuoymrofniottergereW - _ .. ATORIHATUUYread-_

_._

_._

_._

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**...**

**_Dear YUUTA HIROTA,_**

**_We are happy to inform you that you have passed the evaluation session supervised by one of our scouts two weeks ago in the field of MARKSMANSHIP. Congratulations, you are now eligible to hold the title of Super High School Level MARKSMAN._**

**_Your classes will begin next term under the 79th Class of Hope's Peak Academy._**

**_Attached to this letter are the tuition and accommodation fees along with the account information and payment methods. We ask that you bring this letter as proof of acceptance to Hope's Peak Academy's administration office at the Faculty Building on the easter side of campus within three weeks of the delivery date on this letter to finalize or reject this invitation. This offer is considered null and void should the deadline pass without any form of finalization and a hefty fine will be imposed for any late finalization past the deadline._**

**_For the hope of a shining future,_**

__Jin Kirigiri__

**_Headmaster_**

**_..._**

* * *

..

...

...

.._Where..?_

The memory of my acceptance letter lingers in my mind as if it's a recent memory but something doesn't feel right. I felt somewhat… depressed by it, somehow. Anyhow, that's not the most pressing issue at hand. As I open my eyes, the view of a poorly lit classroom lies in front of me.

_Wait… when… did I…?_

{=**_Despair-Syndrome_**=}

It seems that I had awoken from sleep and in an odd classroom too. There was no mistaking that it was a school desk and chair that I was sitting on, the vandalism in pencil that filled the top of the table had a familiar sense of teenage life. In fact, the presence of a teacher's podium and blackboard further solidified my conclusion. The strange thing is that I don't remember attending a class let alone an empty one. I look around to find the remaining seats empty and also the reason that the classroom was quite dark.

_Where are the windows?!_

A jolt of electricity ran through my body as I immediately jumped up from my seat. As if just realizing the direness of the situation I'm in, I look around once more to examine my surroundings properly. This was no ordinary classroom, I realize. The metal fixtures on the wall which I assumed were just there for some weird teacher's taste had apparently been where the windows were. In other words somebody had sealed off all the windows in the classroom with heavy duty bolts and nuts. I step over to examine it more thoroughly and I discover that the edges have been soldered shut too.

_Shit! What the hell is going on?_

Whoever did this really wanted to make sure these windows were irremovable. I decide that although there might be a chance that the metal sheet would come off if I'd use enough force and had leverage, it would be a smarter use of my time to explore the rest of this place. Aside from the single lightbulb dangling from the ceiling in the middle of the room, there seems to be nothing else of interest in this room.

_Why is this happening?_

_I was just…_

_Huh? The letter…_

_I remember that I was reading the letter and…_

_…I'm here now._

I couldn't make sense of anything that happened to me. I tried as hard as I could to connect the dots between the letter and waking up here but to no avail. The gap was simply too big to draw a simple straight line to connect it. There must've been other dots in between the ones that I could remember. If I drew a line through all of them in order I bet I could see a clearer image. But, do these dots even exist? Or am I just jumping to conclusions?

I felt so lost and alone in here. If my dad…

_Dad! What happened to him?_

A feeling of dread started to form in my chest and I felt its heavy weight pulling me down. What could have possibly happened to him? Had I been kidnapped? If I was then did they take my father too? All of these questions started to form in my head and just like a parasite, it slowly drained me away. The more I ponder, the more worried I get. A lump formed in my throat as I found it harder and harder to swallow. Sweat had dripped down from my forehead as I panic internally.

My eyes darted around like crazy as I grew paranoid. My brain which had previously gone numb had started to shift into first gear when my eyes landed on the door. I don't know what's out there but nothing good is going to happen if I just stay here in this classroom. Without even thinking, I hurriedly made for the door and swung it open with force.

"OW!"

The door didn't swing completely against the wall as I'd thought. Instead it ended up swinging to about 90 degrees before colliding with an obstacle, and that obstacle is rubbing her nose in pain right at this very moment.

"I think you broke it,"

"E-excuse me?"

"My nose. I think you broke it when you opened the door,"

Finally my mind snapped back into reality and I realized what had just happened.

"Oh! Oh oh oh! I'm so sorry! Oh god, I didn't mean to. I… I didn't know," I started sputtering words of apologies like an idiot.

"Aw, it's ok. It'll grow back, I think? Anyways unless you can afford a nose job, don't worry about it," She wrinkled her forehead as she massaged the bridge of her nose.

The girl in front of me is petite in delicate in stature. She's no taller than my chest and her hunched up pose currently makes her look even smaller. She opens her eyes, a warm shade of brown, and looks up to me while pulling back the light brown hair that hid her face moments ago. Her hairstyle which is tied back into two large and bushy pigtails does nothing but help to further solidify her youthful appearance. Her nose, which is a little red, seems to be alright mostly. It's just a little sore and bruised perhaps but nothing too serious. The light freckles accentuates the redness that resulted in the door jammed into her face makes it look like she's blushing. She clutches the sleeves of her blue sweater and tilts her head a little as if analysing me.

"Eh? Are you alright?"

I was a little surprised by that reaction considering it was me who slammed her face. "Uh... shouldn't I be the one asking that? I mean I did hit you. Sorry..."

She sighs before tilting her head in the other direction. "I already told you I'm fine. You're the one who was barging through doors dramatically," She paused for a moment as if trying to piece something together.

"Ah, I bet it's because we're suddenly here in a weird school that caused you to panic right?"

"...School...?"

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

That's right now that she mentioned it I never really noticed my new surroundings. As I look around I realize that this dimly lit corridor had its windows sealed too and was filled with notice boards and flyers all over the walls. I turn to the room behind me and next to the door that leads to the classroom was a board that is designated for this classroom. "1-A" was written at the top and I could see all the student-related materials on it such as student notes, class schedules, duty rosters and a bunch of other mundane stuff. But then I realize something that made my heart skip a beat. "This... This is..."

"Yeap, that's right. It's the Hope's Peak Academy logo," She said calmly without even a hint of worry in her voice. I turned to her and she saw the look of concern on my face.

"I think it's safe to say we're in Hope's Peak Academy. Why else would the school's logo be all over the place,"

My confusion started to turn into curiosity and I decided to ask "Does that mean you're also a Super High School Level student?"

"Ah, my guess was correct then. Yes I am, and I assume you're also one too since we're both here and all," she gave me a little smile.

More questions start to enter my mind as I ponder on the reason why I am now in the halls of the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy. Did I arrive here on my own? How come I don't remember getting here? I remember the letter but it that's about it, this just doesn't make any sense. Could it be that I've already enrolled in the academy and have been attending classes for a while and had simply just forgotten about it? Had I been in some sort of accident that gave me amnesia? But that still doesn't explain why all the windows were sealed off and why I woke up in an empty classroom. There seems to be no one else here in this hallway, did someone drag me here while I was unconscious or had I fallen asleep when my... classmates left the classroom and nobody bothered to wake me up. Heck, I don't even know what time it is. I start to panic again as my breathing gets laboured and sweat rolls down my chin.

"Bang! Bang!" I snapped out of my trance-like state when the girl in front of me said that, her fingers pointed into a gun-like shape. Her eyes fixed onto something on my chest.

"What... are you.. Oh!" I realized what had triggered such an unusually odd reaction from her. She must've noticed the silver bullet necklace that rested on my chest, hung by a small thin chain around my neck. I used my left hand to pull the black jacket I was wearing out of the way as I grabbed the bullet that rested atop my dark blue t-shirt with my other hand. I held it out to her so she could see better.

"Is that real?" She asked me with enthusiasm as she seem entranced by it.

She reached out her hand but stopped mid-air, hesitating to touch it. "Yeah it's a live round, but don't worry the casing's made from a tough silver alloy. You'd need propulsion force equal to that of a gun to activate it. I doubt even a superstar baseball athlete would have enough strength to throw it with that much force," I gave her a nod and she proceeds to take it into her hands.

I don't know if she really was interested in it or it was simply a distraction to prevent me from worrying but whatever it is, it worked. Talking about something that was familiar and cherished really did help calm me down. "It was given to me by my dad. Um... in case you're wondering, I'm not a dangerous man,"

"Yeah I know I can tell," came the reply.

_... Was that an insult?_

Clearing my throat, I start to explain to her why I had such a dangerous object with me. "You see, I'm the Super High School Level Marksman. Bang, bang," I laughed as I mirrored her actions of making a gun shape with my fingers.

She smiled and was about to speak when suddenly we were both interrupted by a loud and demanding voice from down the hall.

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

"Oi, you two lovebirds quit your smoochin' and get down to the gym already," A tough looking girl with pink hair shouted from further down the hall before disappearing into the corner. A few people had been following her turned to look in our directions and we were bombarded by mixed reactions.

"I have to agree, tardiness should not be let allowed to prolong as it is usually harbingers of bigger issues,"

"Yeah, c'mon guys! We don't wanna be late for the special announcement. Oooh I wonder they're gonna announce about a new pool table!"

"Akiko, that's stupid. Come on, if we don't hurry that she-beast is gonna kick our asses,"

"I'm not afraid of her!"

"Of course..."

As the troop of what seems to be a really diverse group of teenagers like me slowly dissapear down the hall so too did the chattering and I was able to collect myself. I didn't realize that there were others here but that's just silly of me to think so. It's a school, of course there would be other people. But the question is, are they my... classmates? Do they remember anything more or did they share the same problems that I faced.

"Hey, why are they all going to the gym?" I turn to ask the girl in front of me. It occured to me that I still hadn't asked her for her name, but then again neither did she ask me about mine. Maybe... I shouldn't ask her about it? I don't know, my social awkwardness starts to expose itself the more I interact with her.

"Oh, didn't you read the memo? It's an official Hope's Peak Academy message I think, it had the logo on it and ail. Anyways, it told us to meet at the gymnasium as soon as we woke up,"

That last part caught me off guard. "_...As soon as we woke up...?"_ It could only mean one thing. The other people here have also just woken up presumably each in different classrooms. But I felt somewhat concerned about something else.

"I didn't see any memo lying around in my room,"

"...Did you check in the drawer under the table?" she squinted at me.

Embarrassed, I admitted to her that I hadn't checked it.

"Yeah, I had a feeling... Anyways, the memo had a map on it too. It seems we're on the first floor of Hope's Peak academy and the gym is right down the hall and to the right of the T-junction over there. I woke up in the classroom next to yours and when I made my way down here, well... I guess I experienced life head on," She stuck her tongue out and proceeded to turn away.

"Eh? Where are you going? You just said the gym was that way," I asked out to her.

"I'm gonna go check myself in the bathroom first. I think my nose is starting to bleed. You should go on down to gym first, I'll catch up with you later," She waved as she walked down the hallway past the classroom she said she had woken up in and went into the girl's bathroom.

...

Well I guess there's that. I still had a lot of questions but I know standing here won't do much good. Perhaps one of the other kids here might know something more about how I got here. With that I decided to head down to the gym just as the girl had told me before. As I turn right down the hallway I immediately found myself standing in front of a polished wooden door. Expecting it to be a large gym, I swung open the door, carefully this time, only to discover that I was in some transnational hallway or something. A long straight path laid before me and at the other end was huge double doors covered in a rich red, velvet. It looked more like a theatre door than a gym door. There were no other rooms in this hallway and neither are there walls, at least not in the conventional sense.

To my left and right are grassy areas filled with shrubbery and small foliage. Separating the areas that look like a small garden is a waist-high concrete railing. I noticed how bright the sun was shining and-

_Wait, sunlight?_

I looked up and saw that there was a glass window where the ceiling should be in the garden areas. It works to let in sunlight and still manage to keep us in, I think to myself.

_Keep us in...?_

Further into the garden, hidden under the shade of the small trees are metallic silver shutters that stretch the entirety of this hallway. I guess this place is sealed off too. Realizing that this place offered no further interest, I continued my journey down the hallway and reached the red double doors. I can hear the muffled chit chat of the other students who are already inside from behind the door. Whatever answers I was looking for, I knew that I needed to step into this room to progress further. Casting my doubts aside I grabbed its long cylindrical knob and pulled it open.

Soon I found myself in a grand room that barely looked anything like a gym save for the bleachers at both sides of the room. The ceiling is so high up and the multiple rows of long lighting beams that hold up long tubes of fluorescent lights shone so brightly that I couldn't keep my eyes open. The brightness in this room is so jarring compared to the dark hallways from before. My footsteps squeaked slightly as I took a few steps on the polished wooden floors into the centre of the room. I noticed the same logo that had filled the hallways before had been engraved into the flooring in white outlines. I noticed the windows that stretch from the top of the bleachers to the ceiling were also sealed off with similar metal plating. I bet that these sheets are also soldered into the windows' edges too.

"Hey you there, get over here now!" came a voice to my left.

I turned around and see that the other students had all gathered in front of the stage. Most of them were busy checking something out in their hands.

"Hey, can't you read? Get over here and pick up your ElectroiD," The same voice I had heard before seems to have come from this tan punk-looking girl with spiked up hair.

I realized what she had meant as I looked further behind them onto the stage. On the stage's wall wasn't any school spirit banner or anything else you'd expect in a gym. In fact it was a huge LCD screen that hung on the wall itself. On the screen was a message over a white background.

_"On the table below are devices called ElectroiD that will act as your Student Ids and dorm keys. They are designed to register the fingerprints of those who first touch it, so take your pick. Upupu!"_ That was what the message had said.

Is the last supposed to be some kind of laugh? It seemed pretty weird to be a laugh, in fact it sounds like how someone's grandma would laugh. I realize that those must be the things everyone else is holding in their hands as I make my way to the table in front of the stage. On it however, was two black tablets that looked like some sort of smartphone. That means that the other girl and I are the last two people to arrive here.

"Well go on. It's not gonna bite you," The punk girl said in a calmer voice.

I reached out for one of the cards and the moment I touched it a glow of light started to shine around the edges of my fingers. Soon they fade back to black and suddenly my name appeared in bright light blue letters.

_YUUTA HIROTA,_

_WELCOME TO HOPE'S PEAK ACADEMY._

Well at least that clears my suspicion of my whereabouts. This place is indeed Hope's Peak Academy. But... Why would I just get my id card now? Is this some sort of enrolment process? Or an opening ceremony? But then that would mean that I had just gotten here...

_SUPER HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL:_

__MARKSMAN__

A small feeling of pride swells inside of me as I finally see my title on paper for the first time. The ElectoiD then proceeds to list my general information like height and weight and such before giving me a message.

_ACTIVATION SYNCING..._

_ACTIVATION LOGGED._

_15/16_

_..._

_Registering companion profiles..._

_..._

_Error! Registration failed!_

_Reason: Out of range._

_..._

It seems that these ElectroiDs are able to somehow detect the presence of other ElectroiDs nearby, like bluetooth or wi-fi. I'm not too sure about the specifics of how this works, maybe I'll ask the Super High School Level Programmer about it if he's one of the other students. As of now, it appears that there are only 15 people who have activated their ElectroiD and I am the 15th student to do that. I can guess who the final student is supposed to be though.

"Hey, Yevan! Don't you think we should introduce ourselves to the new guy?"

"That would be a good idea, Akiko. We can all cooperate better if we know the identities of our allies. I will go first,"

{=**_Beautiful Days_**=}

The punk girl had walked up in front of me and reached her hand out. I promptly took it and was really surprised by how strong her grip was. This girl who was about my height had dark brown hair, mostly. The centre top part of her hair was spiked up into a faux-hawk and was bleached down to a light shade of blonde. The rest of her brown hair was slicked back into a mullet that feathered upwards at her neck. Her brown eyes fixed into mine as if trying to read my mind. There was a quaint little beauty spot on the left corner of her mouth. She had a black jacket on over a white chinese-styled kung fu shirt along with matching black pair of baggy pants and a pair of black laceless canvas-looking shoes. On her neck is a necklace with a blood red stone at the end.

She lets go of her grip on my hand and that's when I notice the numerous scars and bruises that decorate her hands. Based on her appearance, she must be a fighter of some sort.

"Good morning, my friend. I am Yên-Vân Lý. You can just call me Yen, or Yevan if you wish," Such a strange name, I thought to myself. She must have noticed this, or merely used to seeing reactions similar to mine as she continued on.

"You see, I am actually from Vietnam. I migrated here to Japan with my father when I was 13,"

"Oh I see, He got a promotion huh?"

"..."

"..." I think I picked the wrong choice.

"Not really. I won the national fighting tournament for Escrimadors and with the prize money, my father decided to take me to Japan to further in other fighting styles,"

"..."

"...you... do not know what an Escrimador is, do you?"

"heh heh... not really, no..." I tug at my collar as Yen sighs.

"It is alright. I do not expect people from a foreign land to know such a fine art. It is quite popular amongst us in the South East Asia region. Escrima is a weapon-based fighting style, well not completely but it is mostly emphasized. We fight with sticks, knives, bladed weapons and various others. Sometimes I even try to make my own weapons," She flashes a confident smile at me.

"But enough about me. What about you mysterious stranger?" she crosses her arms and leans in closer.

"U-uhh...," Her gaze is fierce "R-right. My name's Yuuta Hirota. I'm the Super High School Level Marksman!"

"It is nice to meet you, Yuuta," She gives me a slight nod as if to affirm our meeting.

**.**

**Yên-Vân Lý**

**Super High School Level Escrimador**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

The freckled girl that was the one who suggested this introduction suddenly jumped in between us. "Wow SHSL Marksman huh?"

"Excuse me Akiko, I was in the middle of a conversation with Yuuta here," She sternly looks at Akiko but she it doesn't faze her one bit.

"Yes I can see that, but I can't just let you hog Yuuta all to yourself. Besides everyone else still needs to register him and I bet there are others here you still haven't talked to yet," Yevan grimaces and left to talk with the other kids.

"Anyways, wow that means you've got really good aim huh?" She looked me up and down and probably inside out too in her mind, all while grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, I guess so,"

She turns her head sharply that the short bob of black hair swivels through the air as if slicing it. She looks away totally unblinking, her blue eyes trailing off into her own world. She turns back to face me and there goes her hair again. This time I notice that she has silver stud earrings in her ears.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. We're kinda the same I guess, coz we need super accurate aim," She grins again and holds out her hand. I take it and shake it firmly. Her grip isn't as strong as Yevan's but it's still a firm one. She has a black coat over a blue shirt and black fingerless gloves that looks exactly like the one I'm wearing. The rest of her attire consists of a pair of blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

"And um... what is your talent, may I ask?"

"So you asked and so I shall answer. I'm the Super High School Level Billiards Player," She flashes a huge grin and gives me a thumbs up. The gears in my mind begin turning and I realized that I had seen this person before in magazines.

"Oh, so you must be Akiko Takumi!"

"Whaaaa- You're not a mind reader right?"

"Um no... my dad likes playing pool you see, and I've seen your picture on those sports magazines and stuff," I try to explain but I can tell she was just kidding.

"Ahahaha! My fame precedes me. Anyways yeah, I'm Akiko Takumi and well, I already know your name. It's Yuuta Hirota right?"

"Yeap," I smiled and she proceeds to beckon a few other students to come over.

**.**

**Akiko Takumi**

**Super High School Level Billiards Player**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

A boy with bright blue eyes and reddish-brown hair walks up followed by two others by his side. His shaggy hair forms a fringe that covers most of his right eye. He looks rather like a detective of some sort with his long and thick beige overcoat of his. Underneath it he seems to be wearing something quite common amongst students: white dress shirt, black slacks and black dress shoes. The sleeves of his shirt and coat however are rolled up to his elbows, giving him a sleek appearance.

"Hello there. I am Kuno Okura. It's a pleasure to meet you," He extends his hand to me as he takes over Akiko's spot while she hops off to find more people to introduce to me.

I shake his hand thinking nothing of it when his next action takes me by surprise. He bows down and kisses my hand.

"Oh!" I stand there unable to speak or move completely in shock.

"Don't let ignorance blind you my friend. Love knows no bounds! Not even gender," He winks at me and releases my hand. I shakily retract it back to my side as the other two guys laugh at my reaction.

"No hard feelings eh, Yuuta? He did this to everyone else too. Boys and girls are both on his menu," the lightly tanned boy with glasses on his right spoke.

"Aw man, you shoulda seen the look on your face dude! You were like a fish, all wide-mouthed and stuff. Priceless!" The other guy on his left, who had short and messy brown hair with a weird little strand of hair that spiked up in the middle burst out laughing.

"As I recall, you had the exact same reaction. In fact I think you might have even squeaked a little," Mr glasses gave a half-smile to the other guy who frowned and tried to look away to hide his reddening face.

"Anyways, I think we better make sure the new kid is up to speed. Yo, good to meet you! My name is Fujiwara Taiki and I'm the Super High School Level Memorizer so you don't have to worry about me forgetting you, I couldn't if I tried," He flashes a smile at me and we shook hands. His blue eyes shone brightly underneath a pair of glasses as he talked. His hair is a deep shade of black that fully covers his forehead. His unbuttoned white jacket covers his grey t-shirt and the end of his blue jeans drape slightly over his grey sneakers.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Social link, activate!" He pumps his fists as Fujiwara rolls his eyes. His biceps are definitely an eye-catcher as they're flexed. "Um..." He scratches his cheek, sounding quite lost.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

".. Oh nothing. I just... er, I'm not really used to talking to people," I didn't really find that believable but still I tried my best to be friendly and extend my arm to him.

"It's alright, I'm just like that too. Let's start with our names, I'm Yuuta Hirota. What's yours?,"

"Um... it's Kenta Shintaka," He shakes my hand, or should I say crushes my hand. His grip is ridiculous! But then again it's not much of a surprise considering his muscular physique.

Kenta is dressed in a sleeveless yellow hoodie and underneath it I could see a white sleeveless shirt, probably. He wears a pair of blue jeans suspended by a brown belt along with a pair of light green sneakers. The clothes he wears definitely shows off his strong figure... if it weren't for that brown cape he wears that seems stubborn in hiding his body. As he lets go of my hand, I notice a round burn mark on his right hand and I try to dismiss the multitude of conclusions my mind is jumping to. It might be a cigarette burn from what I've seen in the movies.

"Oh, sorry little guy. Sometimes I forget my own strength," He says as he notices that I'm clutching the hand that I shook with. This towering wall of muscle standing before me could definitely be the strongest person out of everyone here.

"I'm the Super High School Level Martial Artist! Hiyaaah!" He mocks a Bruce Lee pose.

"Martial artist huh... But Isn't that Yevan also a martial artist?" I start to ponder this weird contradiction.

"Oh yeah, she was wondering about that too but I guess she got in because her fighting style is more weapons-based? Me? Well obviously I'm more to hand-to-hand combat. I don't need any tools to do the deed," He says smugly as he gives me a half grin.

I turn my attention to the person who's the most quiet amongst us. "What about you Kuno? You've been awfully quiet considering you're the first one to talk to me,"

"Hm? Oh, pardon me. It's just a thing that I like to do. I love to just sit back and watch people, you know," He says without once losing that kind smile of his.

"So... what's your talent?"

"Ah... If I told you... I would have to kill you," He face drops all expression as his tone becomes dead serious. I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Ahahaha I am simply joking! Truth be told however, it is quite dangerous for me to reveal my talent as I am after all, the Super High School Level Espionage, you see,"

I felt my jaw drop as I stood in awe of this person in front of me. "Wow! So you're a spy? Who do you work for? Are you like James Bond?"

Kuno chuckles lightly and shakes his head "In time, perhaps more will be revealed to you. However, I believe there are others who are eager to know who you are, dear marksman,"

**.**

**Kuno Okura**

**Super High School Level Espionage**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Fujiwara Taiki**

**Super High School Level Memorizer**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Kenta Shintaka**

**Super High School Level Martial Artist**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

They disperse amongst other students as Akiko brings back more students for me to talk to. A whopping mob of six people, including Akiko, march up towards me.

"I bet this is starting to feel like some sort of 'dating sim' game huh? It's like now you're just getting to know your prospective candidates!" She flashes that signature grin of hers before telling me that she's going back to talk with Yevan a bit more. I supposed I could find the remaining students on my own.

A girl with brown hair that shines and glosses in the light as if it belonged on magazine covers seems to be pulling the hand of a boy with a strikingly similar appearance. They're the first ones to introduce themselves to me, or at least one of them is eager to.

"Come on, don't be shy Tsubasa! I want you to meet everyone here!"

"Tch," came the typical bad boy reply.

The girl, whose hair has a gradient from light brown to a darker brown from the roots to the tip, was wearing a really big purple jacket that threatens to swallow her. The jacket had white pockets and also matching white sleeves. Underneath it is a dark blue shirt. She also has a purple bag slung over her shoulders. She's also wearing a light grey pair of skinny jeans and black ballet flats.

"Heya! I'm Hibiki Yukata, the Super High School Level Hairdresser! You are...?"

That explains why her hair is so perfect. "Hey, my name is Yuuta Hirota. Nice to meet you," I smile as we both shook hands. Meanwhile, I can feel a pair of eyes boring holes into my skull as I notice that the boy who was with her is glaring at me.

"And Mr grumpy cat over here is my twin brother!" She drags her brother out to face me and he scrunches his face in disgust.

"...Hi. I'm Yuuta Hirota," I feel a little hesitant to maintain eye contact with him as I feel like he's secretly wishing for my death.

"I'm Tsubasa Yukata, Super High School Level Finger Painter. Now if that is all you wanted to know, you can continue to pester other people,"

At first I was curious about the paint splotches that stain the cuffs of his grey and red striped long sleeve shirt, but after hearing his talent it starts to make sense. The resemblance between him and Hibiki is uncanny with the only difference being two beauty spots under his left eye which is of a hazel colour compared to the light brown of that of his sister. Tsubasa's hair is also darker than Hibiki but that may just be because Hibiki has applied a lot of product to her hair.

Tsubasa walks away before I could get a chance to talk with him and Hibiki looks a little worried. "Oh no, come back Tsubasa! We haven't finished our introduction with Yuuta yet!" Tsubasa ignores her as she frantically tries to catch up with him. They look like two inseparable peas in a pod.

"Those two could practically be conjoined twins don't you think? Well it's not a bad thing to have such a close relationship amongst family," said a short girl with thick locks the shade of lavender. It's braided loosely and ends at her waist.

"I'm Kotone, a make-up artist, and it's nice to meet you Yuuta," she gives me a curt nod and I do the same.

If Hibiki had hair fit for a magazine, then Kotone had a face that matches. She had flawless skin and an even complexion. No pores are at all visible on her face let alone any sign of acne. Her eyelashes are full and only serve to bring out her light grey eyes. The small mole on her right cheek does little to detract her beauty.

"I can see that my make-up skills have rendered you speechless. I'm flattered," She giggles and covers her mouth with her right hand and my face turns red in embarrassment.

Kotone is dressed in a light blue, long sleeved sweater that fits her body loosely and pink skirt that stops at her thighs. Other than that she's also wearing a pair of white socks that goes up to her knees and a pair of white sneakers. She also has a choker on her neck in the shape of a butterfly.

"Before you say anything, you should know that I wear make-up on my face because I like it. It's not to hide any insecurities from showing or because I'm out to prowl on the hearts of men," She gives a slight chuckle.

"Aha..ha.. no, of course not. I wouldn't dare think such thoughts," I think we both agree to never bring up the topic of her reason for make-up usage.

"Hey it's my turn to do the introductions!" A girl who is even shorter than Kotone pipes up from behind her. She seems quite familiar but I can't put my finger on why that is.

Kotone moves aside to allow her to state her business "Sure thing, Kimiko,"

"Greetings, fellow classmate! I am Kimiko Sanazawa, the Super High School Level Hollywood Star! Pleased to make your acquaintance," She develops a game show host persona and triumphantly announces her identity.

Of course! How could I have forgotten? This person in front of me is THE Kimiko Sanazawa! She's the famous superstar child actor who has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows in not only Japan but Europe and America too! Since she looks like a westerner, due to her mixed parentage of Japanese and American, she's always sought after by directors and producers to star in their films. Something about her exotic influence in Japanese culture sparks up a lot of interest in the younger and more naïve generation… Or at least that's what I've read online by some critics.

Kimiko twirls her blonde hair with her fingers "Are you... thinking how since I'm a movie star that my life is glamorous and all?" Her piercing blue eyes look up to me and shine innocently. She looks so vulnerable, like a child lost all alone in a department store. Kimiko burries her head in the lavender scarf that wraps her neck before I can answer. She is wearing a pink sun dress under a white blouse along with pink doll shoes. She also has two white ribbons symmetrically placed on both sides of her hair.

"I uh... I'm sorry, I didn't know that this was uncomfortable for you to talk about," I try my best to apologize.

She lifts her head out of her scarf abruptly and sticks out her tongue "Hehehe! I can't believe you fell for that. Gotcha!"

Ah... SHSL Hollywood Star, right.

"But I wasn't just acting... not completely anyways. It's true that being a movie star has provided me a with a glamorous life style but sometimes... I just, well this is gonna sound like the most over-used cliché but, sometimes I just wish I could stop pretending, you know?" She clasps both of her hands to her chest and smiles at me.

"Hey! Is that guy bothering you Kimiko?" suddenly a shouting voice cuts through the air and we both turn to see Kotone swerving out of the way in the nick of time to make way for a man, who looks more like a bull than a man from this perspective, who is marching right up to us.

He catches up to us and gives me the most intimidating glare I have ever seen in my life. I was mistaken in thinking that Kenta was the tallest guy here, this man standing right in front of me clearly beats him by at least an inch. Kimiko, who is standing beside him seems to dwarf in comparison.

"Oh no, not at all Tetsu! I was just showing Yuuta my acting skills!" She cheerfully looks up to him.

The man named Tetsu, upon hearing her words and finding no signs of danger in her face, seems to soften his tense face. His hazel eyes soften as he scratches the red and white striped bandana that covers his short black hair. "Is that so? Well I guess it's alright then," He places his hands on my head and scrunches up my hair. "Hey there, good to meet you Yuuta. Name's Tetsu Mastada, the Super High School Level Blacksmith," He lets go of my hair and flashes me a smile.

Fixing my hair, I get a good look of this powerful man in front of me. There's no mistaking that he's a blacksmith. There are numerous scars and minor burns that filled his dark skin, though I wasn't sure if that was his natural skin tone or if it was forged from the fires he worked so closely with. Tetsu crossed his arms and that seemed to puff out his strong chest even more. He's not as muscular as Kenta but he sure is built like an ox. He wears a snug black tank top along with a pair of baggy blue jeans and red sneakers. He looks like someone out of an urban themed action movie.

"Say uh... you're the SHSL Marksman guy right?" His volume drops to a meek whisper and his face is clouded with concern.

"Yeah... why?"

"...N-nothing. I just... I don't like guns, you see," He tries to smile but all that forms is just an awkward stretch of his mouth.

I understand his concern as spending all that time at the shooting range, I learn how easy it is to misfire. "Ah, don't worry about that, I don't exactly have a gun on me at the moment and even if I do I'll make sure to not use it around you," I reassure him the best that I can although I think he misinterpreted my words.

"Use it around me? Hey, what are you saying? Are you threatening me?" He starts to shout again as he brings his fists together and crack his knuckles. Yeah he definitely is someone out of an action movie.

"I don't think Yuuta means you any harm Tetsu. He is simply trying to reassure you," Kotone chimes in, her voice smooth and almost motherly.

"Yeah Tetsu, you can be so reckless sometimes," Kimiko joins in the scolding.

"Ah... yeah you guys are right. Sorry Yuuta, sometimes I get a little short-tempered," He grins widely and messes my hair up again. I'm beginning to wonder if I need to make an appointment with Hibiki every time I have a conversation with Tetsu.

"Alright, we'll be going now. We have to complete our registrations too," Kotone speaks as she ushers the other two away.

"Bye bye Yuuta!"

"Yeah, see ya later man,"

**.**

**Hibiki Yukata**

**Super High School Level Hair Dresser**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Tsubasa Yukata**

**Super High School Level Finger Painter**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Kotone Oshiro**

**Super High School Level Make-up Artist**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Kimiko Sanazawa**

**Super High School Level Hollywood Star**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Tetsu Mastada**

**Super High School Level Blacksmith**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

As they leave, I take a good look at my surroundings again. By now, most of these faces already seem familiar, save for four of them who just so happen to be talking amongst each other... well, more like arguing than talking. I took in a deep breath and marched my legs up towards them.

"Wanna go, ya bitch?! I can put your prissy ass in traction before you could blink!"

"I must commend you for your bold spirit but I cannot for the life of me understand what you are saying. And all I said was that pink is just a really unnatural colour for hair,"

"Ugh! This is the worst thing since checkers! Look I get what you're saying but this is our hair, we have all the rights to do what we want with it,"

"Did you dye it pink because without that really bizarre colour you would just be another boring and mundane person?"

Yikes, all four of those lines I just heard came from four different people. How did this mismatched group even manage to end up together anyways? From what I can tell, the two girls with pink hair are... being interrogated by the two boys? Or are they just overreacting to innocent curiosity? Either way, I could only find out the reason behind this squabble by directly getting involved.

"...Hi," I say meekly but I get ignored as they all keep bickering with each other.

"HI!" I say one more time, bordering on shouting. This time they notice that I am standing there.

"Oh, it's one half of the smoochy lovebirds," the fierce-looking pinkhead with angular features and a nasty-looking scar on her left eye spoke up first. Her green eyes glinting in the light as her high ponytail swishes around while she shakes her head. I remember her from before when she interrupted the conversation I was having with pigtails.

"My, I didn't expect someone like you to be able to capture the attention of a lady like her," This guy's honesty is too brutal for me to handle. He pulls back his long purple-ish black hair to reveal his bright crimson eyes.

"I agree, he seems absolutely boring," The other guy next to him, which I swear looks like his twin, looks at me with indifference in his eyes. He also has crimson coloured eyes however his hair is black and he seems rather, for lack of better words, sick. I don't mean the perverted or twisted kind of sick, I mean the literal meaning of sick. His skin is so pale compared to the others and he has largely noticeable bags under his eyes.

"Ease off you two, cut him some slack. Maybe he just moved the right pieces and scored a checkmate?" The other pink-haired girl objected the crimson-eyed squad. She looked much less threatening than the first girl that had spoken. She too had really pale skin however they look more natural and had a healthy glow to it compared to the other guy and she did not have any bags under her blue eyes. Her pink hair reached all the way to her neck with a slight fringe that covered half of her right eye.

"Um... I'm here to introduce myself..." I can just manage to say that softly as I stand here at the receiving end of these various personalities.

"Alright, alright. The faster we get this out of the way the faster I can beat up these brats here," The fierce girl speaks out despite glares from the boys.

"Name's Makoto Shirogane. Don't piss me off and I won't kick your ass yeah? I'm also in charge of The Black Guard," She crosses her arms in raises her chin. The Black Guard, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the most notorious sukeban gangs in all of Japan. They're a gang of all-female delinquents who operate just like any other gang. Now that I think about it her outfit, which is a modified version of the traditional sailor's uniform such that the skirts were longer and the tops were shorter to bare a little midriff, makes a lot of sense. Makoto seems to be wearing a dark blue version of this outfit along with a white tie, matching blue socks and black heels. She also has a pair of tinted glasses and black fingerless gloves to boost her rebellious character.

"THE BLACK GUARD?! You are a bunch of criminals! I have to bring you all to justice!" The purple-black haired boy had all of a sudden lost his mild-mannered and polite demeanour.

"What'd you say you little bitch? You better fucking take that back!" Makoto is enraged and ready to rumble.

"Um, HELLO!" I shouted to break the tension.

"Oh yes, It's best not keep you waiting I suppose," He turns back to Makoto and gives her a venomous glare "Our business is not finished,"

"Why hello there! I am Seijun Higashi. It is a real pleasure to meet one such as yourself!" He salutes me as if he's used to giving such a greeting. Seijun's hair is parted in the middle and flows all the way to his mid-back and I realize he also has a scar across the bridge of his nose. He wears a white overcoat on top of a black shirt, though it seems that the coat is just draped over his shoulders as his arms and hands aren't in the sleeves and hang by his sides, along with a pair of white pants and black shoes. He also wears a familiar looking black fingerless gloves. I'm starting to thing that based on the number of people wearing gloves here, we would have enough people to form a glove club.

"Um... Seijun, why are you so against the Black Guard?" I think that may have triggered something in him as his personality changes again.

"What do you mean why?! They are criminals and it is my duty to bring them to justice as I am the Super High School Level Prosecutor after all!" He gives a big and hearty laugh and Makoto gives a big and hearty punch to his guts.

As Seijun doubles over in pain he can be heard shouting lectures at Makoto.

The sickly looking guy comes over to me and begins speaking "This is utterly boring. I am getting sick of this already. Look I'll just get this out of the way then. Me? I'm Akio Komiya, but I'm just another boring person... what about you? Are you as mundane as everybody else?" Akio has shaggy black hair that ends around his chin and bangs that covers his right eye. I'm starting to notice a pattern in hairstyles here; maybe it's a new trend that I don't know about? Akio is wearing a black v-neck sweater over a white dress shirt with a red neck tie around the collar along with a pair of black trousers and dress shoes.

"Oh... I'm the SHSL Marksman. You?"

"Well it's not much, I wouldn't expect you to understand the value of my talent anyways but I am the Super High School Level Occult Club Member,"

"Wow... you're right. I didn't realize Hope's Peak was into the occult,"

"Oh I know right! I couldn't believe it myself either, Hope's Peak Academy the prestigious school for the occult. Oh how exciting!" As he talks about the occult it's clear that he has a huge interest for it. I guess I can't really judge a book by its cover after all, I mean it's the academy's decision to invite him so...

"Say... do you notice how a lot of the other students here have scars?" He seems to be speculating a possible conspiracy.

"Well, a percentage of teenagers have scars from actions such as accidents, abuse and self-harm. Perhaps this is the rare chance of an occurrence where the majority of that percentage are able to gather in abundance in one place," The other pink haired girl interjected.

"Oh, that's... boring," Akio sighed.

"Anyways, how about a of game chess... Yuuta? I'm Ryoka Nakami, the Super High School Level Chess Player,"

I knew from her clothing that this girl had an obsession of chess but knowing her talent, I'm not sure if I'm relieved or a little concerned. Ryoka is adorned in a black and white shirt split symmetrically with graphics of chest pieces on it. On her hands are fingerless gloves however on her right hand is a white glove with a king chess piece on it while on her left hand is a black glove with a queen chess piece. Now, we have a new member to join our glove club. Her skirt has a similar motif of black and white with more chess pieces on it. As expected even her knee high socks and mary jane shoes are also black and white. Ryoka looks to be a very monochrome-looking girl.

"Um... No thanks. I'll stick to target practice,"

"Oh..." Her face turns sour. She must really be obsessed with chess if my actions of rejecting her offer affects her so.

"So... um... you must really like chess huh?" I could think of nothing else that would interest her.

"Oh, is it because I'm dressed like this? Don't worry I have more interests than just chess. This is just like a costume, sort off,"

Well I was glad to hear that she's more than just one-dimensional.

"Last year, when I was 16, I had to fight against this old man from Russia, who was their national champion, in the world championships. Needless to say, I won the title of world champion and became a chess grandmaster. You wouldn't believe it but it's almost a celebrity status, and I'm like a mascot character or something. That's why I'm stuck in this outrageous outfit," She laughs as she blushes a little.

"That's still boring,"

"Shut it Akio, I was talking to Yuuta not you,"

Of course, these two start to argue again while Makoto and Seijun seem to be a having a verbal battle of their own. I think that's enough from out of them.

**.**

**Makoto Shirogane**

**Super High School Level Sukeban**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Seijun Higashi**

**Super High School Level Prosecutor**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Akio Komiya**

**Super High School Level Occult Club Member**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Ryoka Nakami**

**Super High School Level Chess Player**

_Registration complete!_

**.**

* * *

Just as I was done talking to them, I heard the sound of a door opening and closing amidst all the chatter. I turn to look and just as I expected, the girl with the pigtails from before has finally arrived.

"Hey! Over here!" I waved to her. She sees me and scurries over.

"Oh wow, I missed a lot huh?" She tilts her head as she looks up at the giant screen.

"Y-yeah, you sure did. Let's get you your ElectroiD ok?"

"Kay kay," was the reply she gave me as she smiled. She looked really cute doing that.

_Wait what...?_

We walked over to the table as she bowed and waved to everyone else along the way. We reached the table and she picked up the last remaining ElectroiD and I watched as it activated by her touch. Finally I was able to see her name.

_MEGUMI TSUJI,_

_WELCOME TO HOPE'S PEAK ACADEMY_

"Megumi..."

"Yes?"

"Oh! I didn't mean to- I mean... I- Not without your permission of course!" I realize that I had taken advantage of her activating her ElectroiD to discover her name rather than her telling me herself.

She giggles and tilts her head again "Oh it's alright. Besides if you want to call it even, you should tell me yours,"

"My name's... Yuuta. Yuuta Hirota," I say sheepishly as she reads the rest of the information on her ElectroiD.

"Oh, I'm the Super High School Level Artificer by the way," She says without looking up.

"Arti- what?"

"Eh? Don't you know? Artificer means like... I make stuff you know? Hence the word 'artifact' or 'artificial' as in man-made, get it? Though I mostly just tinker with military equipment," She says that without so much as blinking.

"What?! Military equipment?!" I could only express how shocked I am at hearing that.

"Well yeah, I mean my dad works at a weapons manufacturing company and I sorta just picked up the skill you know? Though honestly I think I do better job than my dad. If I weren't stuck in high school I bet I could outrank him at his company," She says that with a sly grin.

I was still obviously in shock as I muttered the following "W-well y-y-yeah... I mean of c-course you're... uh... good... Super High School Level r-right? Heh heh heh..."

"Yeah... Oh! It says I have to register everyone else's profiles. Look I already have yours, see?" She flashes me her ElectroiD and I see my name and talent along with the _Registration complete!_ notification.

"Oh, yeah I finished mine already while waiting for you,"

"You waited for me?"

"Y-yeah..." I think I'm blushing.

She gives a light chuckle and proceeds to walk back into the crowd "That's nice of you Yuuta," Slowly I watch her walk away. I watch her light brown hair sway as she walks, her blue, oversized sweater covering a white shirt, her black skirt that reaches her thighs, her white mary jane shoes contrasts her knee-high socks. I even notice what colour hair ties she was wearing: blue, black and white.

"Well looks like we found which character route Yuuta is going for," Akiko snickers as she passes by me. The blush on my face is getting even worse.

**.**

**Megumi Tsuji**

**Super High School Level Artificer**

_Registration complete!_

_All companion files logged..._

**.**

* * *

Just as the atmosphere was starting to get all chummy, the speakers on the walls beside the stage starts to crackle to life. Everyone immediately stopped talking and focused their attention to the source of the sound. Through the static and white noise, a weird mechanical voice spoke.

"Mic check! Mic check! 1, 2, 3! HellooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?" The speakers blare out suddenly and I covered my ears before I go deaf. I see everyone else doing the same too.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! The controls are a bit new to me. Oopsie-daisy! Nyahahaha!" The volume returned to normal as we turned to each other with a confused look on our faces.

"Everyone's here and they've all registered right? I guess I can come out now then, upupu!"

Life was never the same again...

* * *

**a/n: And there you have it, the first part of the prologue along with the colourful characters that it introduces... along wtih a couple of plot devices that might seem familiar to players of the games :P But I promise that I will take this story to a different direction once it's ready. Also, I've linked the map to the first floor of Hope's Peak Academy on my profile so go check it out if you want to see where your characters ****hang out. I thank you for reading up till now :)**


	3. Prologue2: Now Kill Them!

**a/n: Alright finally, here's the second and last part of the prologue chapter. Phew, it's another long one too but now that we've passed the initial stages of setting up the premise we can finally get in on the action. Yes, that means we finally get to start the actual killing school life and I bet some of you are itching for the FTE's with your own characters. Also, I want to note that that I'll use the Box 15 track for any investigations besides murders as I'm saving the _koroshias for those. Happy reading guys :)**

* * *

**Prologue_2:**

**Now Kill Them!**

**.**

* * *

{= _**Momomomonokuma!**_=}

The white logo of Hope's Peak Academy starts to glow like a bright neon sign. The lights then break into separate sections as they travel from the centre of the gym, up the stage and behind the podium. Our eyes were fixed, following the pathway the lights led us with, to the centre of the stage as suddenly from behind the podium, something unbelievable jumps out.

_It's a… teddy bear?_

This… stuffed bear, had hopped out from its hiding spot from behind the podium and landed on the top surface, right next to the microphone. On the right half, it is covered in pure white fur and has a regular black bead for its eye. On the left side however was a contrastingly sinister version of the other half. It is covered in jet black fur and instead of beads for eyes; it has a red-tinted lens shaped in a cruel-looking scar. A menacing red glow escapes from the inner optical mechanisms of said bear.

The gym is filled with shocked gasps and cries as the monochrome creature before us stares back, completely unmoving.

Suddenly, it jerked to life "Gooooooood morning! I,_ hope_, you are having a super fun time getting to know each other!" Its voice is nasally and sharp, like what you would expect from a cartoon character.

"AAAHHHH! It can talk!" Kimiko cries out, hiding behind Kotone.

"It must be possessed by a demon spirit!" Akio then starts chanting something incoherently in a weird language.

"No, it must be controlled remotely, like an animatronic," Ryoka says calmly, her eyes focused on the bear.

"I don't care what it is. It better start talking, or I'm gonna pummel it to pieces!" Tetsu roars as he cracks his knuckles.

The robotic teddy bear seems irresponsive for a while as the students grow restless. Suddenly it speaks up in an angry tone. "Well that's what I was going to do before you little punks interrupted me!" He leans forward and raises its paws, revealing sharp steel claws that extend from his paws. It reminded me of how cats can retract and extend their claws at whim.

As if to demonstrate that its claws are the real deal, it swings its paws forcefully to the edge of the podium table and it slices through the thick wood with ease, as if it was just butter.

It clears its throat and regains its composure before announcing "I am… Monokuma! And I'm your devilishly handsome headmaster!"

The bear- I mean Monokuma, then pushes a switch on the podium table.

{=_**Alter Ego of The New World**_=}

Suddenly, a slow and ominous techno beat starts playing from the speakers on the gym walls.

"Wha- Are you throwing a dance party? Hey, that's a great idea! C'mon guys let's move some hips!" Akiko seems to get excited and starts dancing much to everyone's dismay.

"Perhaps her intelligence is inversely proportional to her enthusiasm," Tsubasa scoffs but Akiko either doesn't hear him or doesn't care about him at all.

"Tsubasa! Don't be rude! You're not going to get any friends if you keep acting that way," Hibiki frowns and tries to keep Tsubasa in line.

Monokuma once against stays silent for a period of time before jerking about abruptly. "Hey you, the girl with one billiard ball short of a snooker table, cut it out!" He shouts and Akiko quickly stops.

Monokuma then blushes brightly, which I never realized a toy could do, and acts all bashful "Oops, silly me tee hee! Your cute little headmaster seems to have fat fingers. Let me play the right soundtrack this time," He then proceeds to press another button on the podium table.

{=_**Mr. Monokuma's Lesson**_=}

The speakers now play a comically twisted music complete with out-of-place trumpets, fitting for our current state of confusion.

"Now that that's settled, let's get down to business then, shall we? I'm sure you're all _dying_ to know why I brought you here!" He chuckles into his paws.

"So does this mean you kidnapped us?" Ryoka coolly asks the question on everyone's minds.

"Start talking, punk," Makoto impatiently taps her foot.

"Ahhhh, kidnapped… taken… dragged here against your will… and any other synonymous phrase that I couldn't be bothered to bring up. You got that right puddin'. Also, I like your colour scheme, we make quite the pair don't you think?" Monokuma pulls out a rose from behind him and throws it to Ryoka. It lands in front of her feet and she takes a few steps back cautiously.

Seijun addresses the shocked Ryoka in a serious tone "Are you in leagues with this toy?"

"I'M NOT A TOY GODDAMMIT! Jeez not again… I'm your headmaster!" Monokuma bursts into a raging fit.

Ryoka looks pleadingly at Seijun and voices out her fear "N-no! I'm not in cahoots with that… thing! I-,"

"HEADMASTER!" Monokuma stomps his foot repeatedly but all it does is make a squeaky toy sound.

"… with the headmaster… I just happen to be wearing clothes of the same colour, that's all. You have to believe me, I'm just as lost as you guys are," she continues, her voice shaking.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey guys please stop fighting. I trust her Seijun, she's one of us!" Akiko voices out her concern and immediately takes Ryoka's side.

"Your trusting nature is commendably noble. It might get you killed, but nonetheless still noble. I shall trust your decision, for now," Seijun gives a little bow at Akiko and backs down from his interrogation.

Ryoka gives a sigh of relief as Akiko pats her shoulders.

Monokuma interrupts our feel-good moment as he speaks up again "Ugh, this sweet display of friendship is so nauseatingly predictable. Oh well, all the better for my plan I suppose. Nyahahaha!," He gives a hearty laugh as we all exchange a look of concern between us.

"Alright, I've had enough lame story-building exposition speeches so I'll just _cut _right to the chase!" He stands completely straight, preparing to reveal his schemes.

"This is Hope's Peak Academy, albeit a modified version of course. It's… renovated to fit the new 79th class after all! Upupu! Also, you may have noticed that the windows are sealed and some of the more adventurous amongst you might have realized that instead of a typical glass door for an entrance, it's now a high-security, heavy-duty, stainless-steel vault door!"

_So… I was right all along… we really are trapped…_

"Anyone with half a brain would be able to figure that out. Now tell us what we really want to know," Tsubasa rudely interrupts Monokuma's scheming. "What did you do to our heads, and more importantly, what do you plan to do to us now?"

All at once everyone gasped collectively. That's right, my memories since the arrival of my acceptance letter up till now are a complete blank and I bet that's the same case with everyone else.

"I'm surprised to be first one to bring it up. You disappoint me, Fujiwara," Tsubasa gloated as he shot a smirk to the SHSL Memorizer.

"I… I forgot…" Fujiwara seemed deeply shocked by this revelation but he tries his best not to let it get to him.

Everyone is unnerved and agitated as suspicious glances are passed around the halls. The seeds of doubt have just only been sowed but they haven't taken root yet.

"Monokuma! I command you tell us the truth now!" Yevan's mouth twitches, giving away her façade of collectedness.

"Upupu! A nosy batch this time, eh? Well… if you must know… I wiped away your memories! To be more specific, the memories of your school life at Hope's Peak Academy! Nyahahahaha!" The unbelievable words that leaves Monokuma's built-in speakers sounds so surreal, as if it was a dream.

"Hey, hey, HEY! THERE'S NO WAY THAT HAPPENED!" Fujiwara loses it as he screams. "I would have remembered it!" He panics and rushes to the stage, his voice trembling.

"I didn't realize we had a special ed student in the 79th class… Of course you wouldn't remember such a thing because I TOOK IT FROM YOU!" Monokuma jumps down from his throne that is the podium table and lands on the same wooden floor that we stand on. If the situation wasn't so dire, someone would have made a comment on how non-threatening he looked down on the ground as he's about as tall as our knees.

"B- But… how?!" Fujiwara drops to his knees "And why?!"

Monokuma chuckles "The hows don't really matter now. A little prodding here and there with a giant needle… A little laser-guided amnesia beam… or maybe even a good ol' whack to the head! Like I said, it doesn't matter now. The past is in the past… Let it go!" Monokuma starts twirling like a ballerina "Be one with the wind and sky!" He parodies that famous ice-lady movie as if mocking the seriousness of our situation.

"What matters more… is the whys!" He places his paw on Fujiwara's lap. "You wanna know why? Come a little closer, I'll whisper it in your ears,"

Perhaps it's just the shock that his talent of memorizing which he was so proud of, could be so easily manipulated without leaving any trace of being tampered with that has left him so vulnerable, as Fujiwara complies without any hesitation at all.

Megumi clutches the sleeves of her sweater and lets out a slow gasp as Kotone gingerly takes a step forward, clearly concern about the possible danger Fujiwara is in. What he is doing is really risky as I recall how easily Monokuma's claws can cut through wood.

Monokuma raises his paws to the side of Fujiwara's head and… "SO THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT MY IDENTITY YOU SLOW BASTARDS!" The mechanical voice roars out of his speakers at maximum volume, causing Fujiwara to fall backwards on his behind. Kotone and Megumi run to his side and help him up.

"W-w-whaaaa-! That's a stupid motive man! It's not like we've met you before!" Kenta, who was so easy-going when we were introducing ourselves, is shaking terribly.

Monokuma stays silent and unmoving, as if taunting us with his eerie stillness.

"D-don't give us the cold shoulder now man! Aaaaaahhhh! Say something!" Kenta cries out.

"Yes. Yes you are right, you little wuss," Monokuma once again resumes motion. "You don't know my identity. You've never met me before. Buuuuuuuuuuuut! You definitely know the person who pressed my 'on' switch. Upupupu…"

"No… it can't be true!" Hibiki's voice is reduced to a whisper.

"Oh it's true alright. It's as true as the sky is blue, barber-a!" Monokuma replies

"M-my name's not Barbara…" Hibiki tries to correct him but Tsubasa shakes his head, wordlessly telling her to be quiet.

"911, what's your emergency? Oh what's that? You've fallen into a sar-chasm and can't get out? Well too fucking bad. Ain't my fault you're too dense to get sarcasm, kid. Now quit yer whining and let me finish. Jeez what a bunch of chatterboxes…" Monokuma puts a paw on his head to imitate a facepalm.

"Now that I've told you about the hows and whys, let's put a pin in it. You'll be starting the first day of your school term as the 79th class of Hope's Peak Academy starting… now! Aaaaaaaaaand, the date of your graduation iiiiiiiiiiiiissss… never! Kyahahahaha!" He throws his head back as he bursts out with laughter at our shocked faces.

"What do you mean… never?" Yevan's voice trails off upon reaching the last word. I think most of us already knew what this meant but we just couldn't accept this reality. It's completely outrageous!

"Never: short for not now, not ever. Your term here at Hope's Peak Academy is permanent. You'll be living here for the rest of your lives," Monokuma explains nonchalantly as if this was supposed to be common knowledge for us.

"You can't lock us up in here forever!" Kimiko squeaks

"I can and I will. No one will come looking for you. Not the police, the army, or even your family. Upupu…" Monokuma's tone darkens.

_Not even my family…? _

_What… did he do…_

"Hey, are you crazy?! Of course my family's gonna come looking! In fact, I bet they've already called the cops on you so you better start packing coz they're gonna be after you!" Tetsu shouts back at Monokuma and the other students agree in unison.

"No. They're not. Trust me on this, kay? No one is coming," Monokuma tries to quell the students' protests.

"And you expect us to just believe you?" Ryoka asks calmly. I agree with her too. There's no way that Monokuma is telling the truth. It just doesn't make any sense!

"Yes, case closed. Actually, go right ahead. Believe what you want, kids. Maybe it's better for you guys to have a little hope… so that you can fall into even more despair when you find out the shattering truth that I told you so!" Monokuma twirls around playfully again, ignoring the shouts and cries of his horrified students.

"What's the catch?" Ryoka asks Monokuma a question again, only this time I'm not quite sure what she means.

Monokuma however stops his immature behavior and pays careful attention to Ryoka's inquiry. "My, my. You sure are a sharp one, _partner_! Just how did you figure out I had an agenda, dear?"

Ryoka simply scoffs "You have no goal. Not yet anyways. There is no purpose in making any kind of move if you do not have a target,"

"Upupu… now I see why they call you the SHSL Chess Player, sweetcheeks. Hey, you other little bastards should be thankful to Ryoka. Otherwise I would've just disappeared quietly into the night as you guys grow old here together," He pretends to tip-toe away before announcing the dreadful news.

"There _is_ one way for you to leave this school. You just have to kill each other,"

{=_**Mr. Monokuma's Tutoring**_=}

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Kenta screams the loudest amongst the shouts of disbelief from the other students.

"K-kill…? Like a… murder?" Hibiki grows pale as she grasps her brother's hands tightly. I hear someone comment '_is there any other kind?'_ but my senses seem to have been dulled and I can't determine who said that.

"I cannot allow you to commit such a heinous crime! It is an injustice to society!" Seijun firmly stands his ground on the matter at hand.

Monokuma just tilts his head at us as if he's confused by our reactions. "Rules are rules, buddy, and I don't make them. That's just how things work here at this school, upupu! The rule is simple: in order to graduate from the halls of the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy, you beloved symbols of hope must kill one of your fellow classmates,"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing- forcing us to kill our classmates or having to live the rest of our lives trapped in this hellhole just sound so surreal, as if this was a dream that I so desperately want to wake up from. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think that I would be caught in such a tragic event!

_There's… no way anyone would actually do something like that… right?_

_I mean, that's just crazy!_

_This isn't a game or a movie, this is real life!_

The cheerful and friendly faces that had once been on most of my fellow classmates have now contorted into a dreadful mask of fear as we began to slowly process our possibilities. The gears in our minds had shifted into overdrive as the seeds of doubt have now fully taken root in our heads. All of us stood a few feet apart from each other as we warily exchanged looks of suspicion. You can almost feel the vibe of despair as the atmosphere in the room grew steadily with the feeling of utmost dread.

"Oh and you guys don't have to worry about things like food or water or electricity. We've got plenty of those to last us at least a full century before the first light bulb starts to flicker. By then you'll all be racing down the halls in wheelchairs and keeping your dentures in a glass of water on your night table while you sleep. Or maybe… we'll even have some wedding ceremonies in our term here as the 79th class! Oooh, I've been taking ministerial classes online for a while now. It won't be long before I get my online certification! Upupupu, I can't wait to officiate-"Monokuma drones on and on but I think most of us are still in shock to pay any attention to him.

While the rest of us could only stand there slack-jawed, Yevan had stepped up to be our voice. "ENOUGH! That is completely out of line! I refuse to believe that this is Hope's Peak Academy! They would never treat their students so harshly!"

"Eh? But how am I being harsh? You've got plenty of free space to roam around and wait till you see your dormitory area; it's full of high-tech facilities to keep you entertained for years to come!" Monokuma brushes her off.

"That ain't the point, man! She's right, there's no way you're our headmaster! This has got to be some elaborate kidnapping scheme by some lameass criminals!" Tetsu backs Yevan up as he strides forward to Monokuma.

"Elaborate kidnapping? And no one will come and find us? WHAT KIND OF CONSPIRACY IS THIS?!" Akio cries out… although I think there's a hint of excitement in his voice. _Yikes!_

Tetsu gives a slight nod to Yevan and she nods back, understanding his plan. The two of them corner Monokuma at the front of the stage and outflank him. Monokuma's cheeks grow a pink tint as he seemingly gets flustered.

"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing huh? Violence against the headmaster is prohibited! Are you going to hurt me? Oh no, please don't hurt me… I'm just a widdle bear after all…" Monokuma feigns being scared as he raises his paw to his forehead while he bends his body backwards, imitating a stereotypical damsel-in-distress pose.

Tetsu bends over to pick up Monokuma by the arms, being careful to point the area where his claws protrude away from his body or Yevan's. "Your little claws aren't so useful now, eh?"

Kuno- who was standing the farthest behind us and had kept silent since the appearance of Monokuma- had suddenly spoken up, his voice is stern. "Tetsu, put him down,"

"No way man, this is our chance!" Tetsu ignores Kuno without even bothering to look at him. Monokuma doesn't even try to wriggle out from Tetsu's grip and simply keeps moaning.

"Oh my, Tetsu… what a strong grip you have… Oh please, not too rough. It's… my first time," Monokuma keeps making lewd remarks and… _sweats?_ …as Yevan and Tetsu look at each other in disgust.

"Silence, bear! If you want to be released, you had better tell us the whole truth, now!" Yevan glares at Monokuma fiercely. Kuno slowly takes a few steps forward as Monokuma continues to submit to Tetsu.

"Upupu… You know… I forgot to mention the rest of the rules to you guys. Actually, you guys just didn't let me finish before you jumped the gun and initiated your little hero complex. I've heard of a sacrificial lamb before but I guess for today's special, we'll be serving up some top quality lamb chopsssss! Nyahaha!" Monokuma cackles, leaving Tetsu and Yevan confused.

Before any of us could move or decipher Monokuma's cryptic message, he suddenly shouts out "For the protection of the headmaster- I, Monokuma, summon thee! Heed my call, ARROWS OF ORION!"

Suddenly, I heard a continuous swiping sound as if multiple windows were being slid open from my right and left. I turned as fast as I could to see the walls on both side of the gym had given way to numerous secret panels. From the depths of those panels, bright red streaks of light emitted from its centre and formed a line- lines that ended up on Tetsu and Yevan, bathing them in spots of red laser-like lights. They both gasp in confusion.

As my instincts kicked in, I immediately recognized the significance of these laser sights and tried to shout at them to move but… something dashed passed by me at a speed that seems to go beyond that of human capabilities.

The suction created by the sudden change in velocity around me caused me to stumble forward. I notice that I am not alone as others also stagger and try to balance themselves. A trail of chestnut brown is all I could make out as he tore through the air towards Tetsu and Yevan.

It was then when I heard the distinctively familiar 'click' sound that I've heard so many times at the shooting range. The sound of a gun being loaded- or in this case, guns. Long metallic barrels like those of a sniper rifle extend from the panels in the walls and without a moment's hesitation; they let loose a volley of large caliber bullets.

...

…

…

My trained ears, which had always been exposed to the high decibel sounds of gunfire, are ringing loudly. The collective sound of all those heavy-duty rifles firing at once had melded into one big explosive bang. I can barely hear the screams and cries of the other students as the ringing gradually subsides. I hesitate to open my eyes… afraid that I might see a gruesome reminder of what had once been my classmates…

…Only to see smoke rising from the targeted spot. The floor was pelted with a shower of bullets and had been left behind with numerous bullet holes and burnt flooring. No signs of… human flesh was evident at the target zone except… for a small trail of blood that led up to the stage.

The panicked shouts and screams of the other students don't seem to register in my head. Everything sounded like a generic background track, like the kind of audio tracks used in movies to signify a crowded scene yet somehow quiet enough as to not drown out the main dialogue audio. The same case is happening to me in real life as I hear it; the grunting noise from beyond the smoke.

Instinctively I rush over there to find three figures collapsed on the stage. The podium table has been knocked over to one side of the stage during the scuffle and I let out a huge sigh of relief as I notice that none of them seem to have been caught in the firing zone.

"Yevan! Tetsu! Are you guys ok?" I shout, as I clamber up the stage.

Yevan groans as she pushes herself up into a sitting position. She had a dazed look on her face as she squints her eyes at me. "Yuuta…? What happened?"

"You were shot! A hundred times!" I try my best to explain the situation as calmly as I can but I am just too overcome with relief. Both of them would not have been able to survive the shooting if it weren't for…

"Kuno! You saved them, Kuno!" I turn my gaze to Kuno, who simply lies on his back as he stares back at me while trying to catch his breath.

"All in a day's work, Yuuta," He winks at me and closes his eyes. Such agility and speed… Not to mention his fast reflexes… I couldn't help but ask "How did you know?"

Kuno raises his head and looks into my eyes "His actions upon being apprehended did not fit his profile, unless he had a trump card up his sleeves which… given the current situation, he did," He gave me a tiresome smile and proceeded to drop his head back on the stage.

"You were profiling him?" I asked, amused by his tactfulness. "I was profiling everyone. It's what I do Yuuta," he replied. SHSL Espionage indeed.

Tetsu, who had been quiet for some time now, gave an abrupt cry as he clutched his right leg. Blood seemed to seep through his fingers. "Gaah! This shit stings so bad man… Ugh…"

Before I could react, I hear a voice behind me. As I turn around, I see Akiko, Megumi, Kotone and Kimiko gathered in front of the stage. Hibiki looks at us as if wanting to join us but doesn't let go of her grip with Tsubasa who simply furrows his eyebrows together and nothing more.

"Are they alright?" Kotone asks gently as Kimiko tries to stand on her toes to get a better view.

"Y-yeah, they're fine… mostly," I say as I turn to look at Tetsu who winces in pain.

"Oh no, Tetsu!" Kimiko jumps up and down before Kotone hoists her up on stage.

"I'm alright Kimiko… just a flesh wound 'tis all," Tetsu tries his best not to worry Kimiko and smiles.

"Upupu… Just a flesh wound eh? How disappointing…"

{=_**A Dead End To The Ocean's Aroma**_=}

A heavy weight had just formed itself in my chest as I heard that voice that had ordered the public execution of Yevan and Tetsu. Appearing from behind the overturned podium table, Monokuma walked out perfectly unharmed as we all looked on in shock.

"I was hoping for a little spilled blood to spice things up in here. You little punks are way too laid-back, given the current situation. You guys don't get it do you? I mean it when I say you guys are trapped in here for the rest of your lives! Nyahaha!," Monokuma bursts out with laughter as we staggered down the stage, away from the sadistic creature in front of us.

Tetsu tried his best not to show any pain as Kuno shouldered him back to the rest of the group.

"What the fuck was that?! You could have fucking killed them!" Makoto lashes out at Monokuma.

"That's the damn point, toots. Violence against the headmaster is absolutely, unquestionably and without a doubt, prohibited! Next time you guys try and do something like that again, it'll be spears!" Monokuma brags as he dances around us, knowing all too well that we wouldn't lay a finger on him.

"W-why does Hope's Peak Academy have gun turrets hidden in the wall?!" Kenta's voice breaks as he shouts, clearly showing his fears.

"I already told ya before, ya big baby. This is Hope's Peak Academy, 2.0! And there are more than guns and bombs hidden all around for you, upupupu!" Monokuma snickers as he inches closer to Kenta, forcing him to back away.

After he's had fun torturing us mentally, Monokuma clears his throat and speaks up "Let me make this clear one more time. The only way you little brats are getting out of here is if you kill one another! Nyahaha! You can stab, shoot, choke, strangle, drown, push, poison, hack and slash all you want, I don't care! Just as long as they end up dead is fine by me,"

None of us could respond, or even want to.

"Hmmmm, I'm feeling a little charitable today. I guess I can let this game continue without killing anyone to prove a point. Beside's it's not like I have any convenient plot devices to utilize from killing any underdeveloped characters so soon, upupupu…" Monokuma spews out more weird words which don't make any sense no matter how much I wrap my head around it.

"Alright, I guess that's enough fourth-wall breaking. As your headmaster, I am obligated to look after the wellbeing of my dear, lovely students so... Tetsu! Get your ass down to the nurse's office and patch up that gross wound of yours before you bleed to death. That kind of death is really boring and totes unsatisfying. As for the rest of you…" Monokuma claps his paws twice and suddenly the sound gears grinding can be heard from the south side of the gym.

The walls slowly fall away brick by brick, revealing a sleek metal door with a pink neon sign that reads '_Dormitory Despair_'. "Go find your assigned rooms and make yourself comfortable. Get to know your new friends and have a blast! Coz who knows how long all that will last. KYAHAHAHA!" Monokuma leaves us all baffled as he runs to the centre of the gym on top of the Hope's Peak Academy logo. A bright flash of light engulfs the room and the next thing we know, he was gone.

For a moment, none of us could say a word until… "G-guys… I know weird things are happening but… could someone help me over to the nurse's office?" Tetsu says as he sits on the bleachers while clutching his bleeding wound.

{=_**Junk Food for a Dashing Youth**_=}

"Oh no! I totally forgot about Tetsu!" Akiko screams and grabs her hair frantically.

"Wha- Are you serious?! I'm right here!" a look of annoyance plants itself on Tetsu's face.

"Alright, I'm assigning two of us to bring Tetsu over to the nurse's office and help him with his wound," Yevan strictly informs the whole class all of a sudden.

"H-hey, who put you in charge?" Kenta tries to protest but Yevan shoots him an intimidating look, shutting him up.

"In times of great duress, a leader should be appointed so everyone can operate as one. I volunteer myself for the job," Yevan tries to explain her actions, but I think it just makes people distrust her more.

"Yeah? Well you're the one who went guns-blazing on Monokuma and nearly got turned into swiss cheese if it hadn't been for Kuno!" Tsubasa barks as Hibiki tries her best to calm him down.

"Oh, no, please. I would gladly accept Yevan as our leader as I wouldn't like to be place in such an open position anyways," Kuno smiles kindly and raises both of his hands as if to surrender.

"See, he already agrees to my leadership. I don't see the point of debating this any longer," Yevan shoots the same intimidating look at Tsubasa but it clearly doesn't affect him.

"I, for one, agree with Tsubasa's sentiment. I don't mean to be rude Yevan, but that was awfully reckless of you back there. I vote for Kuno to be our leader," Ryoka calmly states as she walks into the fray.

"Eh? So we're voting now? Wait, when did we decide we needed a leader anyway?" Akiko squinted at the rest of the group and just shrugged.

"The rest of you can suck it, I'm sticking with Yevan here," Makoto brushed aside the other students as she stood beside Yevan and gave her a polite nod of the head.

"I don't think we should be starting some kind of civil war while we're here," Kotone scolds both parties as she stands aside from them with Kimiko trailing behind her.

I watched them bicker and argue and sigh quietly to myself, not noticing Megumi as she approaches me. "Um… I think Tetsu is starting to pass out," I turn to his direction and she's right. Tetsu is straining as hard as he can to keep his eyes open; his head bobs up and down as he slips in and out of consciousness. The blood has already started pooling around his legs.

"Shit, you're right! Everyone's just so caught up in this mess," I run my hand through my hair and cast an exasperated look to Megumi as we walk over to Tetsu.

"How are you holding up there?" I ask but Tetsu just mumbles something about seeing lights.

Megumi crouches to get a better look at his wounds. "This is bad Yuuta," she says as she rips the bullet hole in his pants even bigger. The sight of the exposed, mushy flesh causes my stomach to churn. Judging from the size of that hole left in his thigh the caliber of the bullet that made this must've been at least a .300 Winchester Magnum; the kind used for hunting big game like… _bears_.

I explain this to Megumi and she actually managed a laugh when I said the b-word. "Monokuma is a bear so, that's kinda ironic," She says to me with a straight face. Tetsu moans as he listens to our inappropriately-timed conversation. Megumi tugs at the sleeves of my jacket and says to me "Yuuta, I need you to get Kuno for me,"

I initially found this request peculiar but now that I think of it, Kuno must've seen and handled a lot of injuries in his line of duty. He must know how to treat a gunshot wound. With that in mind, I pulled the passive Kuno away from the group much to his supporters' protests.

"You know how to help him right?" Megumi looks up from examining the wound.

"I've seen my fair shares of open cuts and wounds so I know how to properly clean and bandage it. However, I'm not too skilled when it comes to removing bullet," Kuno remarks.

"Ah, then I'll do it," Megumi declares much to our surprise.

"A-are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked with an obvious amount of skepticism. I don't mean to undermine her skills but, what exactly does an artificer know about surgical procedures?

"Well… I guess we give him lots of painkillers and Anastasia before we do anything to his body. I've worked on microscopic gadgets before so I guess I have steady hands? I think… and well after that Kuno can take over and stitch his wound shut!" She calmly explains her plans to Kuno and I, and while Kuno seems more than happy to go along with her idea, I couldn't help but feel a little concerned that someone who doesn't know how to properly say anesthesia is going to be digging around in another human being's body.

_Wait… that sounds…_

"Yuuta, are you alright? Your face looks a little… red," Megumi tilts her head in confusion.

"Eh! No, no… I'm fine. Um, well I guess we should get going to the nurse's office now eh? Guess I'll grab his legs," I proceed to reach for Tetsu's feet when Megumi stops me. "Actually, I need you to stay here Yuuta,"

Now it's my turn to be confused. "What? Why?" was all I could ask.

"Since Kuno's coming with me… there's probably gonna be some restlessness within the group, especially with his voters. I guess even though we're trapped in this place, high school politics still apply. I need you to keep them in line Yuuta," Megumi looks into my eyes pleadingly.

"But-"

"Kuno's the most qualified person here to treat injuries, Yuuta. I don't want any more blood to be spilled while we're already treating one of our own." Our eyes are still locked together but I can feel her gaze getting more serious.

"Do… you really think they'll hurt each other over this?"

Kuno chimed in this time. "Most likely. With Makoto on Yevan's side, there's no stopping them from taking over and since Tsubasa's not one to back down… He'll probably end up on their blacklist. Ryoka's smart so she'll probably concede but Hibiki's not going to be following her logic so, if Tsubasa gets targeted, you can bet that Hibiki will end up in the crossfire. Akio will probably not do much on his own, but if Seijun decides to take charge then Akio will probably be the most likely to root for him. Akiko and Kotone will try their best to remain neutral and Kimiko, Kenta and Fujiwara will probably follow them to avoid confrontation and conflict," He analyses the situation without so much as breaking a sweat.

"Whoa, did you really just figure that out just by our interactions a few moments ago?" my mouth drops open in shock and Megumi tilts her head in the opposite direction as she mulls about this scenario.

"…Maybe… I am simply generalizing however. Their actions might diverge from my predictions," Kuno just shrugs while Megumi nods in agreement.

"Megumi's right Yuuta. You should help Akiko and Kotone keep the peace while we keep Tetsu alive. Try to distract them until we get back from the nurses office. Once everyone's together, we'll be able to come up with a more solid plan," Kuno says as he grabs Tetsu at the armpits. Megumi lets the air in her lungs exhale while she keeps her mouth closed- making her look like a frog with her inflated cheeks- as she heaves Tetsu's legs up. I remember that I had a thought about Tetsu resembling a bull once; if the situation wasn't so morbid I think I would have laughed as I watched them struggle with the hulking brute.

Within seconds, the three of them disappear behind the giant red doors leading out to the hallway with the gardens. I could only wonder how Megumi and Kuno are going to treat Tetsu on their own. The thought of those two being our doctors while we're trapped here does little to ease my worry.

"GUYS! CAN WE PLEASE STOP FIGHTING?" I hear Akiko screams amongst the sea of voices behind me. I guess I should honor my end of the plan, then.

Taking a deep breath, I walk over to the centre of the gym where everyone is gathered. Akiko is literally being the wall that divides Makoto and Tsubasa as they try to claw at each other's throats. Seijun drops the occasional lecture on violence in public but no one really pays any attention to him. It's scary to think how easily Monokuma can pit us against each other with a few simple words… and death threats, of course.

I clear my throat and put on the best politician voice I know. "Hey, guys? Kuno and Megumi are going to be gone for bit to take care of Tetsu so… let's not decide on a leader yet, alright?" My words seems to float pasts everyone's ears as they do not pay me any attention.

"I agree, that would be a good idea. We cannot make an impartial decision unless everyone is present," Seijun surprises me as he addresses me.

"Uh, yeah! If we can just get through them but…" I scratch my head as I watch Yevan stand back while Makoto dishes out the verbal assaults.

"We should really investigate what's behind those 'Dormitory Despair' doors, don't you think? I think you should tell Yevan that while I try to convince Hibiki to be more assertive with her control over Tsubasa," He gestures over to Hibiki, who is seen yanking on Tsubasa's shirt, though it doesn't seem to do anything.

"Eh? Why do I have to talk to Yevan?" I try to protest but it's already too late as Seijun has already started walking away.

_Why do I always end up in situations like this…_

I look over to Yevan and see Kotone already trying to reason with her. Kimiko nods occasionally as her sign of support. I give a little sigh of relief as I won't be alone in my attempt.

"…No, I'm not saying you're not an incompetent leader. I'm just asking _why_ do you think it's a good idea to hunt down Monokuma," Kotone politely voices out her opinion.

"Y-yeah! He could be hiding anywhere!" Kimiko presses both hands to her chest in fear.

"Do you propose we just sit here and trust the words of some maniac toy? What if he comes back and decides he isn't satisfied with just a warning shot?" Yevan firmly holds her ground. "Would you be willing to risk one of our lives for that?"

Kotone keeps quiet and casts her gaze downwards, unable to fight Yevan's possible logic. This time I try to do the reasoning "You've got a point there, but so does Kotone. Even if you do find Monokuma, what then? He could easily just push some buttons and bring out a bazooka from the walls,"

She shoots me her signature glare again- I could feel the intensity from her gaze get stronger each time she uses them- but it softens momentarily. "That is a good question… How do we extort more information from Monokuma without fear of his hidden weapons?" She ponders this as she strokes her chin.

"Maybe we can try to search the walls for secret openings and try to disable them?" Kimiko chimes in but is given a disapproving look from Kotone. "Kimiko, let me handle this for now,"

"Guys, what about that thing…?" I gesture towards the metallic door at the other end of the gym and they all turn to look at it at once. "Did you guys forget? There's a new area to explore. Maybe we should check it out first before deciding on whether to catch Monokuma or not, alright?"

"No, we didn't forget. It's just…" Yevan trails off before finishing her sentence.

"... Monokuma was the one who allowed access to 'Dormitory Despair' right?" Kotone picks up where she left off.

"It could be rigged to explode once we enter the doors, or maybe some other deadly traps are laid out for us in there. It's better to stick with the x-shaped hallway we were at before… I do not think it's safe to tread into unknown territory," Yevan crosses her arms and shakes her head at the idea.

"…But, isn't that what leaders do?" I point this out and Yevan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

Kotone catches wind of my plan and plays along. "Yes, a leader is someone who is able to make difficult and risky decisions despite tough circumstances. Is that not your idea of leading, Yevan?"

Yevan lets out a short gasp as she uncrosses her arms. She brings one hand to her chin as she begins to have doubts.

"And hey, maybe we can find some clues on how to catch Monokuma in there," I give the final little push that cracks Yevan's unshakable will. Her eyes lit up through a moment of clarity.

"Yes, I have misunderstood my strength as a leader. You are right, Yuuta. By fighting amongst each other and wasting time searching through places we have already been to, we are playing right into Monokuma's dirty mind games. For now, it seems there is only one way to proceed," Yevan glances at the metal doors for a moment before looking back at us with a smile.

{=_**Beautiful Dead**_=}

Kotone and I look each other with faint traces of relief in our faces. Yevan goes over to Makoto- and by proximity, Akiko and Tsubasa too. It seems Seijun has managed to convince Hibiki and Tsubasa of the plan too as they don't seem to be aggravating anyone at the moment. Yevan leans close to Makoto as she tells her of our discussion. Makoto simply shrugs and backs away, leaving Akiko with some breathing space.

Akiko groans loudly before taking in a huge breath of air. She releases it with a sigh as she pretends to collapse on the floor. "Oh god, finally!"

"Everyone, gather around please! I have decided that all of us should investigate the 'Dormitory Despair' together!" Yevan's voice echoes loudly throughout the gym as the other students who were idly standing by come closer to her.

"Hey, hey! I thought we agreed to not set up a commanding position yet!" Tsubasa immediately objects.

Akiko jumps up and grabs her hair like she did earlier. "Oh no, not again!"

"Yes, we did. This is our decision too from our discussion earlier. Think of this as a democratic motion, yes?" Kotone speaks up and faces me. "Right, Yuuta?"

"Yeap!" I exclaim, although I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with everyone always putting me in the middle of things…

"… Can't really argue with that, I guess," Tsubasa finally learns to back down.

"Besides, didn't we agree to that too, Tsubasa?" Hibiki takes turn to shift her attention to Tsubasa and Seijun.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get on with it," Without saying anything else, he proceeds to walk to the back of the gym.

Hibiki tags along as expected and the rest of the student body slowly trudges after them. None of them look too happy about our current state of disarray and the unknown nature of what lies behind the 'Dormitory Despair' doors don't help either.

The doors looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. It's sleek and smooth chrome design feels rather out of place compared to the traditional interior of the school gym. A similar metallic frame outlines the doors with heavy-duty bolts neatly placed around it. It looks like it'll need a tremendous amount of force to break these doors down. The more I look at the doors, the stronger the nagging feeling in my mind gets. It feels as though something is missing but I can't really tell yet.

"How the hell are we supposed to open it if it doesn't even have any knobs?" Makoto frowns as she looks up and down the door trying to find said knobs.

"That's… somewhat interesting. But a door is still a door, there has to be some way to open it," Akio crosses his arms as he appraises the doors too.

"M-maybe it's… voice operated?" Kenta mutters.

"Open Sesame!" Akiko immediately tries out Kenta's suggestion but the doors don't budge. "Drat…"

"Are you all blind? There is obviously a control panel for the door right beside it," Seijun once agains speaks his mind through an unfiltered mouth. He touches a part of the wall about five inches from it and I notice what he means. There's something that looks like a square outline on the wall and the interior of the box looks to be a different type of wood compared to the rest of the wooden paneling in the walls. On the bottom right corner of the square box are two little LED lights however only one of them lights up in a bright red.

"Is that… a card reader?" Ryoka walks over to get a better look.

"Does that mean we need to find the keycard?" Hibiki looks up questioningly but Tsubasa just shrugs.

"Aw, that's going to take forever!" Kimiko lets out an exasperated sigh.

"I can dismiss room 1-F for you guys as Kuno, Kenta and I woke up there. We searched every inch of that room and found no signs of anything resembling a keycard," Fujiwara fiddles with his glasses as he talks.

"Are you sure? Your memory's not exactly Super High School Level, if I recall," Tsubasa just couldn't help but rile up everyone he talks to.

Fujiwara doesn't snap back at him and just looks down to the floor. "No. There's no keycard in room 1-F,"

As they continue to tinker with the door and its control panel, I suddenly recall something that I saw moments ago. I turn to look back at the stage and there it is. _"On the table below are devices called ElectroiD that will act as your Student Ids and dorm keys."_ Dorm keys, huh? Instinctively I pulled out my ElectroiD from my pocket and swipe it against the apparent card reader.

*Beep*

The light which was previously red had turned off while the light below it suddenly lit up in a bright green colour. There is a muffled whirring sound coming from behind the walls as the metallic doors slides open slowly in full sci-fi movie fashion. A brightly lit white room appears on the other side of the doors.

"Well now we know Monokuma wasn't lying about the ElectroiDs being our dorm keys," I playfully say as I scratch my head while everyone looks at me in surprise.

"…So… who wants to go first?" Akio breaks the silence with the question that we were all dreading to hear.

Yevan takes in a deep breath and bravely marches into the room. She stands in the middle for a few moments and nothing seems to happen "Do not worry, it appears to be safe," She waves for us to join her in the room.

After all 13 of us enter, I realize the room is much smaller than it appears. It's kinda crowded in here as everyone is forced to stand so close to each other, their bodies almost touching. Without any warning the door behind us slides shut silently and by the time the first of us notices it was already too late. They door had closed, trapping us in the room.

Kimiko and Kenta start to panic as they mumble and gasp in shock and the rest of us look around frantically.

Ryoka remains unfazed as she seems to have an idea of what this place is. "This is… an elevator,"

No sooner had the words left her mouth; there was the same muffled whirring sound we heard before as the doors opened. "Judging by the smoothness of this ride, I'd say it is pretty high-tech too,"

After a while, the whirring stops the walls of the other end of the white room slides open to reveal… "… Dormitory Despair,"

A long hallway bathed in white light stretched out before us. Our shoes clicked loudly on the metallic, grey floors as we slowly shuffled out of the claustrophobic elevator. Lined on each side of the hallways are similar sturdy-looking metallic doors that looked like the ones we opened back at the gym. In total, there are eight doors on both sides of the hall with what appears to be mini-caricatures of our faces embossed on a golden metal plate.

"Oh! Pixel art character sprites! Wow, that's so cool!" Akiko excitedly exclaims as she rushes down the hall to look for her door.

"That girl… I don't think she realizes the severity of our situation," Seijun sighs as he walks after her.

"Kotone, look over there! Our rooms are right next to each other!" Kimiko pulls Kotone by her hand to the right side of the hallway. Their rooms are the second and third rooms from the elevator so they find theirs rather quickly. I notice that the first room right next to elevator belongs to a certain brown-haired girl with pigtails.

Right across Megumi's room I see a room with a face that unmistakably resembles Tetsu's as only he has a bandana on his head.

As the other students set off down the hall to discover their assigned rooms, I start to notice a pattern in gender. The rooms to the left of the elevator only have plates with the boys' faces and as expected, it's vice versa for the rooms on the right side of the elevator. As I walk down the hallway, looking for my room, a faint feeling of worry rises up as I do not see my nameplate anywhere but the feeling quickly dissipates as I discover that my room is the last one down the hall, furthest from the elevator.

The messy, medium-length black hair coupled with those brown eyes is without a doubt mine. I reach out to grab the door's handle when I realize there isn't any. Ryoka's voice flies through the air behind me and I turn to see her standing in the doorway. "It's the same thing with the elevator, the plate with your face on it is a card reader," She gives me a smile as I return the gesture with a small nod.

"Alright, let's meet out here again in 10 minutes after we investigate our rooms," Yevan calls out from where she stands in front of her room and waves of 'ok's and 'alright's follow soon after.

"Still not the boss of me," Tsubasa retorts as he disappears behind his door and I can hear Hibiki cry out "Tsubasa! Quit it!" just before she enters her room. This is honestly the first time I've seen them apart and I'm a little surprise how easy it is for Hibiki to let go of her grip on Tsubasa. I can only surmise that Seijun must have done a pretty convincing job to influence her to be her own person. He is the SHSL prosecutor after all.

I swipe my ElectroiD on my nameplate and the outline of my portrait image glows with a faint white light. The door suddenly slides open with a little 'whoosh' and I get a glimpse of the interior of my room from outside the doorway. I took my first step in the room slowly, wary of any hidden traps Monokuma might have installed but nothing happens.

The loud clanking sound of footsteps on metal disappears as I step into the blue-carpeted room. The walls are padded with a light blue velvet material. As I take a few more steps into my room, the sound of my room door sliding shut behind causes me to turn around. From this side of the door, I see a monitor screen where the nameplate should be. On it is a black screen with nothing except for a timestamp and name on the top left corner. "22:15 – Yuuta Hirota"

"Upupu! Nifty little thing, right? It logs anyone who presses their ElectroiD on your nameplate. Course, only the room owner's ElectroiD will actually open their respective doors. If the ElectroiD doesn't match the room, it'll just register it as a visitor and play a doorbell sound. Ding dong!" a squeaky little cry escapes my lips as Monokuma suddenly tugs at my pants.

"AAAAHH! Where did you come from?!" I jump back and shout at the sudden appearance of Monokuma. There was no way he was in the room before as there wasn't any place he could hide… unless he was under the single bed in the far right corner of the room as the white sheets of the bed drapes well over the floors.

"Wow, you scream like a little bitch! I bet your parents are so ashamed of you. Oh well, at least they'll never have to worry about hearing your screams cause all the rooms here are soundproof baby! Nyahahaha!" Monokuma deflects my question and proceeds to belittle me. If he didn't have traps hidden around the school, I probably would've kicked him or something.

"Well, who cares about that anyways, that's already old news! Now come on in and let me give you a tour of your very own room here at Hope's Peak Academy!" Monokuma raises his paws and swings them to the right as he begins talking with a tour-guide-like enthusiasm. We walk closer to the centre of my room and I see the Hope's Peak Academy painted on the ceiling in black outlines.

The windows are, as expected, sealed off with the same metal plates like all the other rooms I've been in. There's a bed at the right corner of the room that's placed right beside a little night stand that has a simple table lamp on it. Along the wall next to it is a regular looking wooden desk, the kind that you'd expect in a student's room. Across the wall from the bed and desk is a pair of large drawers which I found odd, considering I don't happen to have any luggage with me. I walk over to the drawers, pulled them open and…

…Saw multiple copies of the exact same outfit that I am currently wearing. I could only stare at the contents of the drawers in silent confusion.

_How… _

_When did…_

"Upupupu… I told you…" Monokuma speaks ominously in a low volume. "This is Hope's Peak Academy and you are part of its 79th class. You should be happy to see that all your lodgings are already prepared for you way beforehand; all the best for our symbols of Hope, after all. Upupu…"

Monokuma keeps on laughing as he sees the look of dazed horror on my face. How long had I been knocked out? There was no way that whoever was operating Monokuma could have taken me from my home and family and transported me to… Hope's Peak Academy… and set up all of these elaborate scare tactics in a day.

_Could I have lost a few weeks' worth of memories? _

…_Or maybe even months?_

"Monologue all you want ya little bastard. There's no changing how you get here or where you are. This is your reality now, upupu!" Monokuma maintains his sinister tone before abruptly switching to a perkier one. "Kay, so if you look to your right you can see a glass door that leads to a smaller tiled room. Now obviously that's the bathroom and I'm pretty sure that doesn't need any touring."

Monokuma then proceeds to run up to the desk and points out to the lowest of the drawers. "These guys are empty at the moment, so fill them up with whatever you freaky little kinks are interested in. But the bottom drawer here," He says as he pats it adoringly. "There's a chart for the human anatomy and nervous system in there. I've also scribbled down some funny notes about which muscles cut the easiest or if masochism is your thing- hey I don't judge. It's your bedroom after all, upupu!- which nerve point sends the worst pain impulses! Nyahaha!"

…_Hope's Peak Academy, perverted headmaster edition? _

"Well that about does it then, enjoy your new room!" Monokuma then runs towards the direction of my bed before stopping mid-sprint. "Oh! Silly me, I almost forgot your welcoming gift!" Monokuma claps both of his squeaky plush paws and a section of the empty wall next to the clothes' drawers slides open. A painting emerges from inside the wall and on it as a detailed, Victorian-styled portrait of Monokuma in a judge's wig. The red eye however looks detached from the rest of the painting and looks more like a lens of some sort. Underneath the painting is a placard that reads "Monokuma, Esteemed Headmaster,"

_Headmaster, huh?_

I shift my attention to Monokuma as I direct a question at him. "Are you… Jin Kirigiri?" Monokuma however remains irresponsive and silent.

"Jin… Kirigiri? Jin. Jin. Jin… Ah, Jin Kirigiri- of the Kirigiri clan of detectives and private investigators. Father of Kyoko Kirigiri and son of Fuhito Kirigiri. Black sheep of the Kirigiri clan who chose to run away from his family's legacy to start some daycare centre for 'talented' kids. Status- Deceased," Monokuma spews out facts in a monotonous and emotionless voice. "So as you can see, no. I am not Jin Kirigiri! Nyahahaha! But… then that means it worked, upupu…"

Confused, I scratched my head as Monokuma continues to mumble to himself. "What do you mean 'worked'?"

Monokuma jumps at my question as he wears a startled expression on his face "EH?! OH NO I SAID TOO MUCH! IS THIS A CHARACTER FLAW OR A CONVINIENTLY-TIMED PLOT POINT?! YOU'LL NEVER KNOW BECAUSE MONOKUMA IS SIGNING OUT!" Monokuma slides under the bed and when I rush over to lift the blanket, there was no sign of him anywhere. Could this be what they refer to as 'monsters under the bed'?

There's not much left to check out in my room so I decide to wait back outside in the hallways. More and more questions are popping up and I still haven't found the answers to the ones I had before. Getting used to the fact that these doors lack any handles, I swipe my ElectroiD on the monitor screen and it reads "22:21 – Yuuta Hirota"

_Wow, it's already that late?_

_I could've sworn it was still sunny outside._

As I step out from my room, I see that everyone else is already gathered in front of the unexplored hallway. "Did you have an encounter with the fourth kind too?" Akio stares at me intently.

"Yeah, you guys' too?" I answer with a question.

"It is as you have guessed. Monokuma seems to have the ability to be at several places at once," Yevan says as she scratches her chin.

Before we can discuss Monokuma's special ability any further, the chime announcing the elevator's arrival echoes. We turn around just in time to see the doors slide open to reveal Megumi along with Kuno shouldering a patched up Tetsu. They wave to us as they make their way down the hallway.

"How is he?" Kimiko goes up to greet them.

"He'll be fine. There's a mini-fridge with bags of every blood-type in it. You should've seen Megumi back there, she didn't even flinch!" Kuno smiles brightly as he praises Megumi.

"It's nothing, really. Monokuma was with us to supervise the whole operation. Something about it being against the rules to let innocent students die," She tries her best to be modest.

"Wait, that lame-ass toy was with you too? He was here too showing us around," Makoto growls as she turns to look sideways. It was obvious to us that Monokuma could probably show up at any given part of the school at any time he wants.

"Well, I think we should let Tetsu rest in his room, for now. I'll join you guys later," Kuno begins to carry Tetsu away despite protests from the injured man.

"Wait, I'm coming too. I wanna make sure he's safe," Kimiko starts running after the two, breaking away from Kotone and the rest of the group.

"She's really just a sweet little girl," Kotone comments as the rest of us refocus our efforts.

"Right, we've seen our rooms but there are still some other areas to explore. It would be prudent to start out investigation now as it is already getting quite late," Yevan once again puts herself as the default leader of the group much to Tsubasa's annoyance.

"Eh? Late? But the sun is still up. We saw it in the garden when we were returning from the nurse's office," Megumi wonders as she tilts her head.

"Most likely the sunlight you saw was actually artificial light. I mean, it wouldn't make sense for all the windows and doors to be sealed off yet somehow the skylight was left unaffected. I doubt the photosynthesis process of plant-life is as important to Monokuma as keeping us here in the dark," Ryoka begins her deductions with an in-a-matter-of-fact tone.

As we all muttered our agreement, a shrilling scream sliced through the air. It came from further down the hallway to the right of where it splits into a t-junction. Yevan quickly rushed off in search of the voice and the rest of us followed with heavy hearts.

"Akiko, what is the matter?" I turn around the corner to see Yevan standing in front of Akiko who has apparently thrown herself in front of a door. The door itself is looks just like our high-tech room doors only it's missing the nameplate. Besides that, it also has yellow police tape with the words 'do not enter' strewn all over the surface of the door.

"THERE'S A POOL TABLE INSIDE BUT IT'S LOCKED!" She cries out with tears actually falling from her eyes.

_Is she serious…?_

{=_**Junk Food for a Dashing Youth**_=}

"Akiko, I thought you were hurt," Yevan shakes her head and puts on a thick layer of disappointment in her voice as she expresses her concern.

I can hear the groans of annoyance from behind me as the rest of the group arrives. "Next time if you must scream, save it for when your life is actually at stake," Tsubasa's voice is filled with contempt as he rolls his eyes. He then proceeds to walk to the opposite end of the hallway.

"Tsubasa! Where are you going?" Hibiki asks as she stands in the middle of the group and Tsubasa, conflicted with her brother's obsession with solidarity. Tsubasa turns his head only as he keeps on walking. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to go check the other rooms here. Didn't we all agree to investigate? We can cover more ground if we split up,"

Hibiki couldn't find the right words to respond so instead, she runs after her brother. "Oh no! Splitting up in situations like these is bad! It's the most common horror trope!" Akiko cries out as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Everyone should stick together! No one leaves my sight at all!" Yevan shouts out to everyone else remaining, but her scare tactics seem to be wearing off as most of us continue to disperse. This only makes Yevan twitch her mouth in anger.

"With all due respect, you treat us like a bunch of psychotic criminals with an unsatisfied drive for blood lust," Seijun retorts as he walks over to the other only other door on this side of the hallway. "We are a group of extraordinary teenagers, however. I do not see how any of us are capable of such a heinous crime… save for a few," He steals an accusing glace over to Makoto.

"Hey I saw that, asshole! You better keep your eyes to yourself or I'm gonna rip them right out of their sockets!" Makoto threatens Seijun as she waves her fist. Seijun however escapes into the room before Makoto could do anything else.

Makoto storms off back the centre of the hallway's crossroad and hastily marches down the right corner of the hallway. Akio scoffs at Makoto and goes into the same room as Seijun. By now, only a few of us are left standing in front of the blocked door.

"He's got a point though Yevan. We should learn to trust each other instead of constantly suspecting one of our own. That is exactly what Monokuma is trying to do to break us," Kotone tries her best to cool down Yevan as she guides Akiko by her hand into another area of Dormitory Despair.

"… She acts all high and mighty… Who does she think she is, she's not my mother…" Yevan mumbles to herself before leaving me alone in the hallway with…

"Did you ever hear about that experiment where peoples' surroundings shape their personality and motives instead of people actually being aware of their own decisions?" Megumi surprises me with a really random question and when she sees the confused look on my face, she proceeds to explain further. "Sorry, I'm just rambling on right now. It's just funny how it's just the two of us here at this exact moment,"

_Is she… hitting on me?_

I've honestly never had any experience with relationships before and thus… I couldn't possibly detect any form of signals or signs that Megumi is giving me. That is, if she is even attempting something like that. There's no way someone like me would be the one to catch her eyes. I never really was the type of person who enjoys staying in the spotlight.

"Well, are you coming?" Megumi brings me out of my internal soliloquy as she taps her foot. I flash her an embarrassed smile as I run my hand through my hair and head out to investigate the remaining rooms with her.

{=_**Box 15**_=}

The room Akiko was crying about and the room directly opposite from it down the hall are both locked and covered with the same yellow warning tape. The room right next to the one where we were standing however was unlocked and upon entering we saw what appeared to be something like a toyshop. Every wall of the room was lined with shelves from top to bottom and each shelf was fully stocked with an assortment of brightly coloured children's toys. Akio and Seijun seem to be focused on the glass display in the centre of the room filled with even more toys however they were busy with a claw machine that was set on the display. A Monokuma logo adorned the very top banner and the written instructions specified something about 'monocoins' to operate. Seeing as we didn't have anything like that, we decided to leave for the other rooms.

On the other end of the hallway, a similar unlocked door was placed next to locked door number two, paralleling the toy store room's position from the other side. On the inside was a room that smelled of detergent and fabric softeners. Rows and rows of state-of-the-art washing machines lined the other three walls besides the wall with the door we came in from. Makoto and Yevan are sitting on the benches in the middle of the room while Kenta pats the washing machines cautiously.

"Just checking to see if they have bombs in them or something, heh heh…" He sheepishly comments.

After a brief search, we concluded that this is pretty much just a regular laundry room and left to further our investigation.

We made our way back to the centre of the t-junction and walked down the fourth and only hallway which we haven't explored before. There was a large metal double-door at the end along with two other smaller single doors with glass windows across from each other. We chose the one on the right that read 'Games &amp; Lounge' and on the inside was the loud group that consisted of Kotone, Akiko, Fujiwara and Ryoka. The interior of this room seems somewhat to be a mix of an arcade and an light-reading corner with sofas and racks full of magazines on one side and retro-looking arcade machines line the other.

Akiko has already gotten over her sadness of the whole pool table business as she and Fujiwara are busy playing a fighting game. Ryoka and Kotone are examining the stacks of magazines on the coffee table by the sofas.

"I remember this issue. It came out last month," Ryoka pulls up a dull-looking magazine about chess while Kotone immerses herself in beauty magazines.

With nothing else out of the ordinary, we decided to check the room directly opposite from this. As we head out the door, I noticed that there's a clear view of the room across from here. Upon reaching the room labeled 'Supplies and storage' I see Hibiki and Tsubasa inside. They are busy skimming through the aisle of tall shelves- the ceiling in this room is significantly higher than the other rooms too. Rows and rows of shelves fill the room and everything you could every think of, from necessities to dangerous looking items like sharp garden shears and axes, fill every inch of it.

Hibiki struggles to reach the top of the shelves that are in front of the door- which contains a vast array of hair care products- as even though she's on her toes, she's still a good few inches too short. "Tsubasa, a little help?"

Tsubasa pokes his head out from the shelves further inside the room and yells out "There are ladders right there to your right," before going about his business again. Hibiki looks around and finds said ladder before thanking him.

Looks like Monokuma was really serious about his plan to keep us in here forever. As I sweep my eyes across the room, I realize that there are possibly hundreds of shelves fully stocked to the brim with anything a student could ever need. They should relabel this room to 'warehouse depot' instead.

Having crossed out the number of rooms left on the list, Megumi and I head for the only door that we have yet to enter. The large double doors are simple and plain and have long metallic handles running across its centre. Giving them a good push, I open both doors at once in a grand manner as if celebrating its discovery.

The room on the other side of the double doors reveal themselves to be a large dining area. The floors are tiled with light beige flooring and the walls are covered in plain white wallpaper. The windows are sealed off as usual and we are left with the artificial lighting of fluorescent bulbs. Multiple wooden tables and chairs are located sporadically around the room and a long table that has 16 chairs accompanying it lies at the centre of the room. At the end of the room, I spot two doors on opposite ends of the walls but before I could go in and check them out, a bell rings throughout the entire Dormitory Despair.

*ding* *dong* *ding* *dong*

"Good evening, students," A familiar sounding voice cackles through unseen speakers. "It's your headmaster here, Monokuma! The time is now 11 pm and you know what that means… Lights out, of course! So get your lazy butts back in your rooms and stay in them,"

_11 pm? Wow, I really didn't notice how fast the time went while we were investigating the dorm areas…_

Even all the way here I can hear Makoto shouting "Hey what gives? 11 o'clock is way too early to call it bedtime!"

The speakers cackle for a bit before Monokuma's voice fills the air again. "This is Hope's Peak Academy, sweety. It's a prestigious school so of course it's gonna have a strict and preppy curfew. Besides, I thought 11 o'clock is a really good deal. That's an hour longer than the curfew the old headmaster had set, upupu… Now MARCH!" Monokuma's rage could be felt just by his words and the other students felt as if they had to comply.

"Nobody leaves their rooms after 11 pm till 6 am in the morning, got it? If I check your logs and see that any weird activities show up then… well, you've seen what I can do back the gym right? Good. If there are no further questions then-," Before Monokuma can finish his announcement, Megumi interrupted him.

"What about the two doors in the cafeteria? We haven't checked what're behind them yet," Megumi boldly raises her question and an obviously audible sigh could be heard on the other end of the line.

"It's just the kitchen and the pantry. You know, rooms that you would find in a place called the CAFETERIA!" Monokuma's indoor voice seems to have disappeared. "NOW GET BACK TO YOUR ROOMS RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL PERSONALLY COME DOWN THERE AND DRAG YOU BY THE HAIR!" The faint static disappears with a 'click' as Monokuma's voice is heard no more.

"You heard the headmaster. Everyone, we have no choice but to retreat to our rooms for the time being. For the sake of your wellbeing, I hope you adhere to Monokuma's curfew," Yevan announces before marching off to her room. This time, even Tsubasa doesn't retaliate as he just drags his feet back to his room. In fact everyone dejectedly walks back to their rooms, heavily contrasting the enthusiastic energy that our group previously had.

"Well um… good night, then," Megumi gives me a curt nod before leaving for her room next to the elevator. I hadn't even managed to reply when she's already halfway down the hall. "…Good night… "

{=_**Welcome to Despair Academy**_=}

Swiping my ElectroiD on my nameplate, I gingerly stepped inside the room and made my way to the bed. The moment my body touched the soft and gentle mattress, I was instantly overcome with a sensation of fatigue.

_Wha…? I don't remember feeling this tired before…_

Perhaps it was just a continuous adrenaline surge that had started from the moment I rammed the door in Megumi's face, but I felt as if I hadn't had proper sleep in days. I felt the energy being drained from my body as I continued to lie there on my stomach. I remember the last time I felt this exhausted was when I had a really intense training camp where we were taught how to use our guns in real-time combat situations. I remember that I felt like I was fighting in a war. The instructors were really strict and consistent in their teaching methods as there was no room for error. If you messed up even once, you were considered dead.

Of course, it was just training and no one really died. Out of everyone else on my squad, I was the only one who managed to not 'die' and as a result, I was at the top of my class. Looking back on it now, I realize that it was probably that achievement that had landed me on the radar of Hope's Peak Academy in the first place. Perhaps… if I had 'died' back then, I would probably never even get shortlisted for the academy.

_How ironic… that I would rather go back to a difficult time like that rather than stay here._

The last few moments of fleeting consciousness that I had was spent wallowing in deep regret and despair. I had always dreamed of getting into Hope's Peak Academy but…

_This is not Hope's Peak Academy..._

_There is nothing but despair here..._

_Hope's Peak...? How... ironic..._

_..._

* * *

**.**

**Prologue: End**

_Survivors: _**16**

**.**

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**a/n: Alright, finally! We're closing the prologue, phew. It's also a little unsettling to see the survivor countdown has made its first appearance. Also, I apologize if the last part feels rushed. I had planned to set a limit of 10,000-ish words each chapter but I knew that I couldn't keep under the quota for all the things that were happening in this chapter. Hence, I tried to shorten the final part with a montage-y sequence of writing. Also, once again I've linked the map to Dormitory Despair on my profile so go check it out to get a clearer view. What do you think will be the motive in chapter 1? I'd love to hear what you guys think :)**


	4. Ch 1: Cutting All Ties - Daily Life

**a/n: First off I want to say sorry so much for the delay and I have no good reason to say that I procrastinated three days of writing simply because it fell down a couple of steps on my priorities list. But fret not as I'm done with the other stuff I was working on so this syoc is back on top of the list. Secondly, no this chapter's title is not a death threat to Hajime's neck accessory. And now without further adieu, let the killing begin :)**

**PS: I want to thank GinMerric so very much for spending his time working on the TvTropes page of this syoc! A TvTropes page! Isn't that neat? I encourage all my readers to check it out and join in the troping. Special shout out to GinMerric again for creating the cover image of the syoc on his own free will. I have to say it's a very well done job and greatly appreciated and it's also on the TvTropes page so if you want to see the individual characters of the syoc just head on over to the link on my profile to check them out! Thanks again for all your efforts GinMerric **_and I repay you by submitting a late update omg I'm so sorry._

* * *

**.**

**Chapter 1: Cutting All Ties**

**[Daily Life]**

**.**

* * *

***Ding* *Dong *Ding* *Dong***

"Rise and shine, pipsqueaks! It's 7 am, so get ready for a brand new day of mayhem and misery!"

Monokuma's morning announcement ends with a click as I stir in my bed. My body felt so stiff and sore as I force myself to get up. It seems that I had literally collapsed onto the bed as I realize that I had slept over the blanket itself. On the bright side, at least I won't have to make the bed this morning.

_This morning, huh? Guess it wasn't just a nightmare after all…_

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

Blinking the somber truth away, I drag myself across the short distance from the bed to the bathroom. Seeing my reflection in the glass door, I notice that I had fallen asleep wearing the same clothes as I did before. It doesn't really matter all that much now since there's really nothing else to wear besides the multiple sets of identical clothes that Monokuma prepared for us.

_I guess one could sleep in their undies or naked even, but..._

I glance over at the painting of Monokuma and squint hard at the red tinted lens that sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the canvas. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Monokuma's watching us individually from these surveillance... paintings?

Carefully, I remove the silver bullet and placed it slowly on the nearest table. Hanging it on the towel hooks in the bathroom while I take a shower would cause it to rust from the humidity. It's the only thing I have here to remind me of a time before Hope's Peak Academy and I don't plan on tarnishing it.

Once inside the safety of the glass doors, I look around expecting to see Monokuma or more surveillance equipment lying around. Fortunately, no such apparatus pops up on my radar. Once satisfied that I was in no danger of exposing myself, I strip down to my underwear and toss them in the neat-looking metallic clothes basket near the right corner of the door. The bathroom itself seems to be moderate in size as it's only about a few square inches bigger than the regular old bathroom I had in my modest little suburban house.

The room is lit even though it's morning although I guess that's required since there are no windows or vents of any kind in this white room. The cold tiles of the floor send a jolt through my feet as I walk across the bathroom to the sink. Above the sink, I see a clearer reflection of myself in the polished rectangular mirror. Everything seems to be just as I remember it, only my hair is even more of a mess than usual and I can see faint traces of bags forming under my eyes.

Scanning the rest of my body, I notice there are some bruises and scratches all over them which I had no recollection of. I bring a hand to my stomach as I realize that a discoloration had occurred in a line across my abdomen.

_Is that... a scar?_

I didn't remember any of this happening. I remember my body was in perfect condition when I woke up and took a shower yesterday. Not a single sign of wear and tear was visible and I didn't think that was abnormal either for a person of my upbringing. I wasn't the most active or outgoing in my class. I never played much sport or participated in rough outdoor activities. I mostly just spend my free time at the shooting range and even then I was behind the safety of the firearms. There was never any chance for me to have a physical confrontation at all.

Yet here I am standing in front of a mirror with a body that has seen its fair share of abuse and close encounters. In fact, there was something else off about it.

_Is it the lighting or am I half-awake?_

_My body... is... leaner?_

Like I said before, the only activities I ever did was directly linked to my talent. I wasn't exactly an overweight couch potato but I don't exactly remember looking this fit either. No matter how long I just stand here and ponder this contradiction, there was only one conclusion that I could come to. What Monokuma had said before about our memories... must have been true. It was the only explanation as to why my body had looked different and why it was also covered in bruises and scars.

Taking the bear's words for now, I slip off my boxers and stepped into the shower. Fitting with the sci-fi theme that I've seen so far in the dormitory area, the shower was an empty glass cubicle save for a metallic shower head that hung from the ceiling along with a drain cover in the centre of the floor. On one of the walls that wasn't glass was a touch screen panel of some sort which showed some settings such as temperature and water pressure. As much as I hate to admit it, being trapped here is starting to feel a little less scary.

After fiddling with the controls for a bit, I took the most relaxing shower I had in my whole life. It was as if all my worries were being washed away as spent the longest time in there. I'm sure Monokuma won't mind the expensive water bill I'm about to give him.

_Wait, I shouldn't feel bad about taking advantage from someone like him..._

I came out of the shower feeling invigorated and fully awake and grabbed a towel from the nearby towel rack. Wiping myself dry, I notice that the pristine white sink was fully stocked with toiletries like toothpaste, a toothbrush and even a shower cap. This was beginning to feel like a stay at a really high-tech fancy hotel. I finished whatever business I had in the bathroom and exited through the glass door with a tower wrapped around my waist.

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

"Holy smokes; you're a scrawny fellow aren't ya? Some of the girls even have more muscles than you, ya know? Upupu!" the familiar grating voice greets my ears as I open the drawers to get a new set of clothes. Without turning around, I knew that it was coming from the painting.

"What do you want now, Monokuma?" I slip on my boxers and pants awkwardly with the towel still on my waist, careful not to let it drop.

"Oh, nothing much... Just wanted to tell you that I've added a 'Rules' section to everyone's ElectroiDs so yesterday's incident won't repeat itself. It's also to provide you with a clearer picture on how this killing game system works so get to it, chop chop!" Monokuma's squeaky paws clap twice from beyond the speakers before cutting out into nothingness.

_As if I'm going to play your twisted game Monokuma..._

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

After putting on the rest of my clothes, I proceeded to wear my gloves and hung the towel back at the rack in the bathroom. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I picked up my necklace and wore it around my neck once again. With everything in check, I walk over to my bed to look up the rules Monokuma was talking about... only to remember that my ElectroiD was still in the pocket of yesterday's pants.

I quickly rushed into the bathroom and frantically dug out my clothes from the bin. There's no telling what Monokuma might do to me if I had damaged this key item that he had prepared. I fish out the ElectroiD from the right pocket and held it carefully in my hands, breathing a huge sigh of relief as I determine that there weren't any cracks in it.

"Upupupu! Almost had you going there for a moment huh? You don't have to worry about the ElectroiDs 'cause those things were built to last. They're completely shockproof and waterproof. In fact, you can even shoot them out into space and they'll still survive the temperature and pressure of re-entry. They're so much more durable than the precious bodies of a human being, NYAHAHAHA!" Monokuma lectures as his voice travels across the room and into the bathroom.

Trying my best to ignore Monokuma, I activated my ElectroiD and after a few swipes and taps, I found the 'Rules' section. It read:

**Rule 1: "Nighttime" is from 11 pm to 6 am. Log activity during this period of time will result in punishment.**

**Rule 2: You are free to explore all of Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion however breaking into restricted areas before its clearance will result in punishment.**

**Rule 3: Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of school property.**

**Rule 4: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes the "blackened" will graduate, provided they are not found out.**

**Rule 5: Any actions that result in ending a life be it accidental, unintentional or premeditated qualifies as a murder under Hope's Peak Academy jurisdiction.**

**Rule 6: Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.**

**Have a nice day~**

I could feel my stomach turn as I read past the section of the rules that talked about killing. No matter where I turn my mind to, Monokuma somehow always finds a way to bring us back to this topic. Trying my best not to think about it, I stuff the ElectroiD into my pockets and leave my room. As I exit, I see Hibiki and Tsubasa standing in the centre of the otherwise empty hallway.

{=**_Beautiful Morning_**=}

"Good morning Yuuta! Did you sleep well?" Hibiki waves me over as she gives me a cheery smile while Tsubasa continues his act of indifference.

"As well as I could, under the circumstances that is. Good morning to you too Hibiki, Tsubasa," I politely greet them and while Hibiki seemed more than ready to start the day, Tsubasa just gives me the side-eye.

"So... why are you guys just standing out here anyways?" I inquire.

"Oh well, we were going to wait in the cafeteria but um... you see, Yevan and Makoto are inside and Tsubasa just doesn't feel like going in yet," Hibiki answers for me.

_Of course he doesn't..._

"What about you? Why are you still here? Are you..." I notice Tsubasa glaring at me from the corner of my eyes but I'm honestly just getting a bit tired of his coldness by now. "Are you just here because Tsubasa is?"

Hibiki looks surprised before casting a slightly concerned gaze as she lowers her head. "Um... yeah. I kinda am."

"What she chooses to do is none of your concern, if you're just going to make Hibiki uncomfortable I suggest you tread lightly," Tsubasa spoke with icy seriousness.

Hibiki however, being the pacifist she is, tries to defuse the tension that is starting to form between us. "Oh, it's alright! Yuuta didn't make me feel uncomfortable, please don't start fighting Tsubasa!" She then turns to face me after calming Tsubasa down.

"Hehe, I always stick by my brother's side even if we don't see eye to eye sometimes. We've only got each other so we've just learned to protect one another since we were kids, you know?" She smiles while Tsubasa rolls his eyes.

"Ah... I'm sorry. I didn't know you guys were... orphans..." The moment I said that however, Tsubasa shoots me an intense glare while Hibiki gasps in confusion.

"Oh! You've got that wrong! We're not orphans, we just live with our grandparents. The thing is, our mom and dad were kind of wild back in their high school days and well... you know..." Hibiki lowers her head as she brings her hands up under her chin while she looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. I'm pretty sure I know what she means and nod for her to continue.

"Well, our grandparents were furious at first but they decided not to split them up. They did however take us in since they didn't trust our parents to take care of a baby much less taking care of twins! Oh, but we still visit them at least once a year on the holidays. We're pretty much just like any other normal family out there," Hibiki finishes her story with a smile while Tsubasa groans in the background.

"That's... something... But I guess I'm glad that you guys have each other, at least," I give them an awkward smile as I process Hibiki's story.

Hibiki glances up at Tsubasa and looks back at me before saying "Well of course! There's no doubt about it, I mean,_ we_ _haven't talked to each other since middle school,"_

{=**_DISTRUST_**=}

...

"What did you say?" I'm pretty sure I just misheard Hibiki's words but, I just had to ask. Something about it didn't sit well within me.

The cheerful look on Hibiki's face slowly dropped into an expressionless mask. "I..."

Even Tsubasa, who's normally all smug and condescending in behavior, lets his vulnerable side reveal itself as he gives a sharp gasp and scratches his head.

"I... don't-" Hibiki seems to be growing more and more agitated "Tsubasa! We..." Once again she brings her hands to her chin as her eyes grow wide in fear and confusion.

"Hibiki... we're not..." Tsubasa shares the same look of uncertainty as he wrinkles his forehead, deep in thought. Their eyes are fixed on one another as they desperately try to read each other for some sign of clarity.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Hibiki shouts to us in frustration before running off towards the cafeteria, her knees trembling in unsteady steps as she ran.

"Tch, what did you do Yuuta?!" Tsubasa turns to look at me with eyes filled with fear for a few seconds before running after her.

_What DID I do?_

I was more confused than ever as I stood there alone. Something seemed to have seriously spooked both the Yukata twins and I happened to be the unwitting instigator. Just when I was starting to feel a little safer around my fellow classmates, they start to go crazy.

_Why do I always get stuck in situations like these...?_

Just then, the door to Kuno's room slides open and the occupant himself stepped out with a tranquil smile on his face. He nods his head at me when he sees me standing around like a buffoon. "Waiting for someone, Yuuta?" He winks at me as he makes his way over here.

{=**_Beautiful Morning_**=}

"... Not really. I think I just made two people mad at me, however," I shrug and scratch my head as we both start walking towards the cafeteria.

"Ah, well I'm sure you didn't mean to. It's just not your style after all," He muses to himself as I remember how good he is at reading people. "Don't think too much about it, life has a way of fixing things by itself after all,"

"Say, how's Tetsu? I didn't really get a chance to check on him after the 'surgery' yesterday," I raise an eyebrow while Kuno chuckles lightly.

"Megumi accidently gave him heavy-duty sedatives which are supposed to be fatal to the average human body but it barely even fazed him. In fact, we needed more than the recommended dose to actually knock him out. He's not just build like an ox, he has the tenacity of one too," Kuno gives a sly smirk as he recalls yesterday's incident and I couldn't help but smile along. It felt nice to have a normal conversation, even if the topic was about amateur teenage surgeons.

"Sounds like he's gonna be just fine," we both laugh like regular classmates as we reached the doors to the cafeteria.

Once inside, the scene that greeted us was definitely different than what we had anticipated. Tsubasa and Yevan were actually sitting next to each other on the long table with Makoto and Hibiki paralleling them. The surprising thing was that Tsubasa was actually not opposing Yevan for once. I'm not saying that they're exactly the best of friends but at least Tsubasa seems to have stopped antagonizing her.

"Ah, good morning Yuuta and Kuno! I see you are amongst us early-risers. It is best to start our days as early as possible to efficiently allocate the usage of our time," Yevan greets us enthusiastically with that bold charisma of hers.

Feeling our suspicious gaze on her, Makoto defensively barked at us "What? Girls got a point. No reason to be slacking off especially when we're trapped in here. Sukeban's got to be diligent too you know, or else everyone's gonna step on your head if you don't act fast enough," She squints at us disapprovingly as Kuno and I quickly look away to hide our shame.

The oddly quiet ones here are Tsubasa and Hibiki who seem to be avoiding each other's gaze. I pull up the chair besides Hibiki and notice her head is lowered, facing the floor, with both her hands still clasped under her chin like before.

"Are we supposed to prepare our own breakfast?" Kuno questions the present attendees as he takes a seat on the far end of the table away from where everyone else is gathered. "Oh, please don't take any offense. It is merely a preference of mine, nothing to do with any of you personally," He responds to our looks of confusion and gives us that soothing smile of his.

"I suppose so, besides I would not eat something prepared by Monokuma anyways," Yevan grimaces at the thought of Monokuma serving us a breakfast platter. Just then, Kotone, Akiko and Fujiwara emerge from the doors and bid us good morning.

"Eh? So there are no servers in the cafeteria?! But... I only know how to make cereal for breakfast!" Akiko cries out as they all take a seat on the long table with us.

"Really? I'd assume you to at least be able to fry some eggs," Kotone looks at her quizzically.

"Nope, they end up completely burnt or totally undercooked. The worst part is that there's no in between," Akiko shrugs as Kotone shakes her head.

"Well there's no need to worry about that with me around!" Fujiwara slams his hand down on the table as he passionately announces his heroic culinary rescue.

"Wow! I didn't know you could cook Fujiwara! How much time have you spent behind a stove?" Akiko's eyes lit up with great interest and I have to admit, the rest of us were pretty curious about it too.

"Zero!" Akiko's face is frozen in a smile but no words escape her lips. Her eyes blink rapidly and twitch at Fujiwara's statement "I just happen to remember every single recipe I've ever read before!"

A collective groan echoes within the cafeteria as Fujiwara's laughter howls through the morning.

Our conversation continued under the perimeter of that sarcastic banter as more and more people fill the remaining chairs at the table. The atmosphere here is visibly much cozier than that of yesterday. Perhaps... with Tsubasa being all passive and glum, there was no reason for any infighting to occur. Nobody seems to oppose anything Yevan says and they all laugh along at Akiko's comical remarks. Even Seijun bids Makoto good morning today with open kindness.

The last to arrive were a group of three vertically mismatched students.

"Watch your head Tetsu," Megumi cautiously looks up to the top of the entrance doorway where the exit sign is hanging unusually low.

Tetsu manages to duck his head just in time "Whoa! Thanks for the heads up, Megs. Wouldn't want any more injuries after yesterday," He chuckles lightly and pats Megumi's head while she puffs out her cheeks, a pink tint forming on them.

"Tetsu! Come sit with me," Kimiko drags Tetsu along despite his struggles with an injured foot leaving Megumi feeling a bit confused.

After all of us were gathered in the cafeteria, our discussion changed into something more serious. "I raise the issue of our entrapment to the table," Yevan spoke up instantaneously and everyone turned to face her.

"Ah, this is beginning to feel like a debate! Please do elaborate," Seijun expresses how feels at ease in his natural habitat.

A few heads are turned to Tsubasa, expecting him to habitually oppose her idea but seeing as he hasn't reacted to anything since we all got here; they turn their attention back at Yevan. "As you are already aware, we were not able to fully investigate the academic area of the school yesterday due to Monokuma's interruption. I propose we spend the rest of the day to fully explore every inch of this school for an exit!"

Akio scoffs at the idea and simply leans back into his seat, not bothering to hide his disinterest in the conversation. "And why should we find an exit?"

A few audible gasps are heard as Makoto immediately rebuttals angrily "Well why the hell not? You wanna just stay here in this place forever?"

Akio closes his eyes and smiles triumphantly as if he's already made up his mind. "Of course, I don't mind. It's not such a bad place to live in after all, our rooms are spacious and the commodities are well beyond sufficient,"

Kotone's face grows white as she tries her best to maintain her composure. "B- But what about your family? Your friends? The people on the outside world? If we are to stay in here forever, it would mean abandoning all those close to us! They would become nothing more than memories!"

Akio looks at her with utter disgust. "Family and friends? What pg13 kids-friendly movie did you crawl out of? Don't just assume everyone has the connections and bonds that you have. I don't need them to survive. In fact, I've already cast them aside the moment Monokuma mentioned our stay here is permanent,"

"Dude, seriously? That's pretty messed up though. I mean, how can you just drop them so easily like they're yesterday's news?" Kenta casually chides Akio's behavior as he scratches his head.

"Because I don't need them," Akio was adamant in his beliefs.

"... Alright, it's your funeral," Kenta simply shrugs and taps his fingers in boredom.

"To live here under the supervision of an odd little stuffed bear does sound distasteful at first but he has stayed true to his words so far. We've all had several encounters with him since yesterday and he hasn't laid a finger on us. As Akio had already pointed out, the facilities are remarkably in peak condition and the supplies here are vastly abundant. To live here with these provisions, would be like a blank slate; A new beginning!" Seijun eyes sparkled as he gave a brief propaganda speech.

"Not you too, bro!" Kenta drops his head on the table and covers it with his hands.

"Do not misunderstand me. Kidnapping is a criminal offense and I have no intentions of sitting around here while that blasted bear walks around unpunished. I am simply giving an objective view on the matter. To live here without playing into Monokuma's barbaric system of killing each other, we would be free from the filth of the outside world. No corruption, violence, greed or war... just peaceful harmony," He ends his little reverie with an eerily unsettling smile.

"Well that's a great plan! Yeap, the outside world so filthy! Filthy, filthy, filthy, yuck!" A familiar mechanical voice had suddenly joined us at the table.

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

"Good morning Monokuma!" Akiko cheerfully calls out from her side. It takes her a few seconds before she reaches the same wavelength as the rest of us. "Eh? Where did you come from?!" she cries out.

"Didn't I say to put a pin in the how's and whys?" Monokuma glares at her as the red lens shimmers menacingly.

"But I asked where," Akiko interjects as our fists tighten in anticipation of Monokuma's sadistic reaction.

"Upupupu... smart brain you got there, kid. Too bad it's wasted on whacking balls all day. Nyahahaha!" Monokuma bursts out laughing again as we try to ignore his crude comment. "But that's about as far as I'll go for talking back to your headmaster. You didn't break any rules after all, upupu! Anyways, what do we have here? A little meeting between all of my lovely students? Whatcha guys talking about, huh?"

"We are going to do a full sweep investigation of the building after breakfast!" Yevan announces and for the first time since this morning Tsubasa actually groans. "Great job revealing our plans, leader,"

Yevan crosses her arms and stands up "Well do you suppose Monokuma is just going to sit around while we are out searching for an exit? I say it is better to lay it out in the open right now so he does not mistake our exploration as trespassing or snooping and launches a firing squad on one of us!"

Tsubasa once again relights the fire in his spirit as he goes back to his old, spiteful self and becomes the opposing force of Yevan's authority. "As if that'll happen, didn't you check the rules on your ElectroiD this morning? We're given free pass on every unlocked area of the school, _leader_," He says that last part slowly and full of venom.

As their argument get heated, more and more people join in the fray as Makoto and Ryoka are busy defending their pick while the rest of us are busy trying to defuse the situation or simply just tuning out of the verbal battle. Just like that, the atmosphere once again turns rancid.

"Upupupu... looks like my work here is done! I knew beforehand what you guys are all planning but it wouldn't be fun if everyone's busy holding hands and singing campfire songs, no? Isn't this more despairingly satisfying than the stagnation of a blossoming friendship? Anyways, have fun exploring the first floor of Hope's Peak Academy 'cause you'll be seeing lots of it for time to come!" Monokuma leaps off his chair and disappears through the doors.

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

The group continues to bicker without even noticing Monokuma's absence. "Tch, whatever. You keep on doing what you wanna do but leave me out of it," Tsubasa heads for the exit before realizing someone was missing. "Hibiki, you coming?"

To our surprise, Hibiki shakes her head, leaving Tsubasa gritting his teeth as he storms off without having any breakfast. No one spoke a word after what just happened but the silence didn't last long as the sound of someone's stomach grumbling bellows throughout the cafeteria.

"... Man, I'm really starving here, heh heh," Kenta clutches his stomach while smiling awkwardly.

Yevan puts a hand on the table to get our attention. "Alright, without further delay, I shall prepare today's breakfast," Fujiwara stands up to help Yevan in the kitchen "Oh what're we making? If you need any help remembering some recipes, don't be afraid to ask!" They both head to the doors in the back but a voice cuts them midway.

"Now, why should we trust you with something as important as food? I mean, you could easily slip poison in it and knock us all out," Seijun crosses his arms and gives Yevan a piercing stare.

Yevan pauses for a moment before smiling smugly. "With all due respect, you treat me like some kind of psychotic criminal with an unsatisfied drive for blood lust," Seijun frowns as Yevan mirrors his words from yesterday. "I am part of a group of extraordinary teenagers, however. I do not see how I am capable of such a heinous crime,"

"Fair enough, to use your opponent's statement against him is a crucial skill in a debate. You'd all do best to remember that," Seijun gives Yevan a curt nod as a sign of respect and resignation and both Fujiwara and her leave to whip up something for the group to eat.

"That is splendid to know... but I highly doubt the probability of us having a debate in this school is likely to occur," Ryoka grins.

After what seemed like forever, Yevan and Fujiwara brought out a plate of something green for everyone. She says that it's a common Vietnamese dish although it seems to be getting mixed reviews from some of us with a preference towards local food. It seems we found Tetsu's weakness as his face starts to match the shade of green on his plate.

We ate quietly and hurriedly to avoid prolonging breakfast time any longer.

* * *

**DAY 1 - Free Time: Morning**

**Location: School Area 1F**

**Available: Kotone, Kenta**

Deciding that the best course of action would be to look for a way out, I left the cafeteria after breakfast and headed for the school area as Yevan had suggested. Hearing voices in the the gardens, I took a peek to see an awkward scene unfolding right before my eyes.

"Careful now, please don't drop me... And no peeking either," Kotone appears to be balancing her self as she sits on Kenta's shoulder. The latter's face immediately reddens upon hearing her comment.

"Whaaa... N-no I'm not that kind of guy okay? Who do you think I am?" Kenta looks down as he brings his right hand to his forehead, forgetting for a moment that someone needs his help balancing.

Kotone immediately stumbles backwards as she screams her lungs out, her arms desperately waving through the air to hold on to something. She finds it and yanks hard on it to prevent her from slipping off Kenta's shoulders only this time it's Kenta's turn to scream. Apparently, Kotone had grabbed onto Kenta's unsually long cowlick and she is dangerously close to scalping him.

"OW! OWOWOWOW! LET GO OF MY HAIR DUDE!" Kenta struggles to stabilise his body as he juggles Kotone and the pain simultaneously.

Kotone instinctively lets go and latches her hands onto Kenta's face instead. Her fingers are digging deep into his skin and some even enter his mouth and nose. "I am so sorry but you were the one who let go first," The bumbling act between these two has calmed down somewhat.

"Shorry... I fuhgot..." Now that things are back to normal, I decide to pay them a little visit as I trek through the earthy landscape.

"What are you guys doing?" My presence seem to startle them a little as Kotone immediately reaches out for Kenta's hair.

"Ouch... Quit it, lady," Kenta's eyes give a painful look of annoyance.

"Lady? Are you saying I'm old? That I have to wear make-up because I don't look like my age?" Kotona passive-aggresively leads Kenta into a trap as she continues to hold her grip.

Kenta looks at me pleadingly. I sigh a little and wondered how on earth did these two end up here like this. "I think he's just being childish, that's all," I speak up and Kotone purses her lips for a while before letting go of Kenta's hair. "You better not drop me again, alright,"

"Yes, ma'am," Kenta sighs and closes his eyes in relief, not realizing the word he used to refer Kotone with. As I had anticipated, her eyes go wide in surprise and she looks about ready to sink her fingernails into his scalp again before I nudge Kenta. "I mean, yes sir!"

"So... is anyone going to answer my question?" I repeat myself as Kotone frowns and proceeds to tap on the skylight. Kenta looks like he's just recovering and answers for the both of them. "We're going to see if we can escape through the ceiling,"

Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner. It makes sense, seeing as it's the only glass surface here in Hope's Peak Academy to not be covered by metal plates. Even if the skylight doesn't open, we could always just break it and then we would be free, simple as that!

Before I could express my happiness of the matter however... "Don't even think about smashing through the glass, you bastards,"

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

For a third time, Kotone loses her balance as the unannounced headmaster hops on over to where the three of us are. He carefully jumps on the decorative rocks strewn all over the garden to avoid getting any dirt and soil on his fur. Kotone does not manage to grab onto Kenta's hair this time however, and promptly slips off his shoulders and plummets to the ground. In the blink of an eye, Kenta immediately swipes his arm out and grabs hold of Kotone's hand before the impact occurs.

"Nice moves there, slick. Looks like you caught yourself a sweet ol' cougar! Nyahaha!" Monokuma aggravates the situation by calling out Kotone on her skills.

"I am not a cougar! If I were to date him I would just be a regular teenage girl!" Kotone remarks as she dangles in the air.

"Upupu, is that a lover's confession I hear" Monokuma puts a paw up to his ears and squeals in delight.

"What the heck do you want Monokuma?" Kenta cuts right to the chase, tired of putting up with Monokuma's eccentric behaviour.

"Oh, I'm just here to perform my duties as your headmaster 'is all. That skylight is school property you bozos, if I see so much as a scratch on it I swear on Despair's name I will skewer you alive and spin you on a spit roast while you slowly get cooked, alive! I'm not joking, I've got a human-sized kebab skewers in my personal kitchen you know, Nyahaha!" Monokuma glares at us menacingly before hopping off on his two feet and disappearing.

There was a brief moment of silence as we try to push the image of Monokuma's punishment from our minds when Kotone speaks up. "Um, you can put me down now, Kenta,"

Kenta quickly apologizes and sets her down. Kotone dusts off her clothes lightly before taking one final look back up to the skylight. "Well, I do not think this is a suitable escape route. Not unless we can break it without Monokuma knowing," And just as the words left her mouth, a cackle of static is heard in the garden area as the speakers come to life.

"That'll never happen in a million years, darling. I've got eyes all around this place," The announcement left as soon as it came.

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

"Dammit! We were so close to actually getting out of here!" Kenta huffs as he slams his fist into his palm.

It's true, the only separating us from the outside world is just this fragile piece of glass. To think, Monokuma would leave us with this piece of salvation only to thwart our attempts at breaking free. It's almost as if he's toying with us, playing mind games to break us from within.

Kotone simply shrugs and stands beside Kenta. "Well, at least we tried and because we did try, we've managed to establish that Monokuma is almost omnipotent in Hope's Peak Academy and that the skylight is a no-go... unless we can open it without using force..." She stands there unmoving, lost in thought.

Now that it's just the three of us here, things are starting to get a little bit awkward since none of us are even talking. In this moment, with everyone distracted. we were just three kids standing in a garden. The peaceful scenery that nature provides us feels a little out of place when you think about the situation we're in but I let it take me nonetheless.

"Say, you were holding Kotone with just one arm for quite a while there Kenta. I think I see why you're the SHSL Martial Artist now," I try to break the ice with them as they look at me with blank expressions on their faces.

"Eh? It was nothing really, Kotone's really light so I barely felt any weight at all!" Kenta flashes a grin and gives me a thumbs up.

Upon hearing that, Kotone blushes slightly. "O-oh... I'm light, am I? I don't think that's quite the case, after all I'm just an average girl with an average figure not supermodel-thin. It's more likely the case that you're just really strong," She places her hands on Kenta arms and I can see him squirm uncomfortably. "How long have you been training?"

Kenta's face is now a deep shade of red as he stammers "I-I've b-b-been fighting since I w-was five..." He wriggles out of Kotone's grasp.

As Kenta composes himself, Kotone lets out a little laugh. "Wow, that's a really long time. As for me, I just sort of picked up this skill in middle school. What about you, Yuuta?"

I start to think back to the earliest moment I can recall. "Well... I think I was about 12 or 13. It's kinda boring to tell but it was my dad's idea to sign me up for the shooting range. Back then, I was the timid and shy kid so I got picked on a lot. I guess my dad thought if they knew the kid they were messing with knew how to fire a gun, they'd stop,"

Kenta's eyes grow wide in shock "Whoa, that's a pretty far out way of parenting, dude!" Kotone wonders for a bit but ultimately nods along.

"Oh, I guess it's kinda weird for you guys. My dad's a straight laced, bona fide cop so you can see the connection, I think," I try to play it cool but I just get awkward smiles from them.

"... My dad's not weird," I frown.

Kenta smiles sympathetically and lightly bumps my shoulder. "Aw cheer up dude. I kinda get it, I mean that's the main reason I got into martial arts anyways. We're on the same boat actually. I know what it feels like to be bullied and teased except I didn't have a cool dad around to teach me how to be trigger happy. He bailed when I was five," His face darkens as the topic of his father comes up. "Mom said he went missing on a business trip but it doesn't take a genius to figure out he'd called it quits and left the family. Whether it was for another woman or he just got sick of the company at home, who knows and who cares,"

Kotone looks as if she wants to say something but holds her tongue and lets Kenta finish. "All that's behind me now and I've never looked back since. I trained at the local dojo so I wouldn't be defenseless anymore, so I can protect myself and my little sister from anyone who tries to hurt us, and I've never been happier," Kenta crosses his arms and flashes us a grin.

Compared to my troubles, Kenta seems to be handling more on his plate and yet, he seems as easy-going and carefree as always. Maybe I could stand to learn something from him as the three of us keep on talking about our lives in general, forgetting about the task at hand.

Eventually, time passed and we were fruitless in our efforts.

* * *

**DAY 1 -Free Time: Evening**

**Location: Kitchen**

**Available: Yevan, Fujiwara**

The time had completely slipped my mind as I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon searching for any means of escape from the walls of Hope's Peak Academy. Kotone had broken off from our group a little before noon to check up on Kimiko and the others back at the Dorm area and Kenta stuck around for a bit before getting bored and decided he's had enough with the investigation and went back for some arcade games. I'd decided to stay disciplined in my plans but I got a little sidetracked in the lounge of the school area. Turns out that room was a faculty lounge as it was filled with academic brochures, scholarly notes and even those motivational animal posters. Besides a coffee pot on the counter top, there really wasn't much left of interest.

It wasn't until I had taken a peek at the wall clock in the lounge that I'd realized it was about half past two. As if on cue, my stomach instantly growled as I clutched it in agony.

_This is how I die. Death by starvation in a school full of possible murderers._

By now, all of the food in the cafeteria would have been consumed. No more lunch for the SHSL Marksman and any remaining food would probably be dumped on the plates of the biggest eaters. I bet Kenta and Akiko had piled up on everything, based on how much they enjoyed the breakfast prepared by Yevan. Fighting back the hunger pangs, I made my way back through the corridors, traversed through the garden area, made my way across the gym and into the elevator. The transition from the school area to the dorm area felt like an eternity as I stood there patiently awaiting the doors to open. Once it did, I hurried my pace across the long hallway. I see Megumi and Seijun having a little talk and they notice my oddly fast-paced speed. I gesture to them that I was going to eat and Megumi mouths 'you better run' and without even questioning it, I did.

In the cafeteria, much to my dismay, I see Akiko and Makoto chowing down on the last bit of what looks like bento box lunch rations before they toss them to the pile of empty bento boxes in the middle of the table. Seeing all those hollow containers makes my heart drops. "Woohoo! I'm so stuffed! Fujiwara really is good at cooking!" Akiko cheers as she saunters over from the table while patting her tummy. "I'm definitely going to need a nap to digest this, my metabolism is fastest when I'm at rest," Akiko gives me a little wave as she heads back to her room with a drowsy look on her face. Try as I might, I couldn't even force a reaction for Akiko's weird biological anomaly.

"Yo, 'sup Yuuta? Did you get a taste of Fujiwara's cooking? Man both of them make a real good chef combo. Looks like Akiko and I finished the leftovers from the lunch they prepared. Oh well, can't let good food go to waste, eh?" Makoto leans back in her chair and stretches. "Phew, I'm gonna need to sit down for a bit. Gonna go look around a bit more after this, you dig?" Makoto raises an eyebrow and I muster up the best smile I can under low energy.

Entering the door to the left, I am greeted with a room that looks like it belongs on an iron chef episode. Rows and rows of state of the art stoves and ovens line the centre of the room. A few rows of humongous stainless steel refrigerators line the back wall of the kitchen and besides them are even more rows of sleek counter-tops with a metallic finish. Strewn all across the cooking apparatus are pots, pans and other implements that I cannot name that hang by rods suspended from the ceiling. In the corner of the room I see Fujiwara and Yevan putting away plates and utensil into some square machine. "Man, you'd think they'd at least help out with the cleaning after we slaved away over a hot stove,"

"It's true, their lack of action does seem a bit lazy but I suppose there's not really that much work to be done if all we have to do is put them into this automated dishwasher," Yevan says with a bored look on her face. Her sleeves are rolled up to her elbows and I get a glimpse of what looks like a... tattoo?! Whoa, this girl is hardcore.

"Yeah, I guess... Oh hey, there's still some unagi left on this plate! Boy am I lucky today!" Fujiwara immediately swipes it off the plate and gulps it down. Yevan looks at him in stunned silence.

_There goes my hope..._

Feeling the awkward gaze upon him, Fujiwara returns the look with annoyance on his face. "Relax, this was on Megumi's plate. She didn't touch a lot of her food at all, something about being allergic to seafood or something. She just poked at the veggies and left it at that so this plate's practically clean and untouched," He laughs it off as he stuffs the plate into the dishwasher.

"How sure are you that it's not contaminated?" Yevan puts her hands on her hips with visible intrigue shown on her face.

"100% sure," Fujiwara flashes her a cocky smile as he taps his forehead.

As they continue on with their duties, I look around some more and it's pretty obvious that no more lunch is left as the stoves are all empty and the pans are all placed back in their cabinets. I sigh and head over to the fridge, hoping to find something to eat. The door makes a loud beep as I pull it open and this catches both of their attention.

"Good afternoon, Yuuta. I hope that meal was pleasant and sufficient," Yevan beams proudly but I can't help but feel a little pressured to answer. I want to say the truth but who knows what she'll do if she found out. Perhaps she'd yell at me for not being alert and order me to cook up my own meal as she supervises with an iron fist.

"Er... I don't think he can answer that, considering he wasn't there during lunch," Fujiwara says as he twiddles his fingers.

"WHAT?! You have not eaten then? That is an unwise choice to skip out on a meal!" Yevan exclaims loudly as leaves her station and walks over to me, just as expected.

"Well I didn't exactly choose to not eat, I kinda lost track of time," I give her my best excuse as I continue to search the fridge. There's nothing inside other than frozen meats and other ingredients that require cooking. Man, I would kill to have a can of cola right now...

_I hope I didn't say that out loud..._

"It is alright, today I appointed myself to take on the duties of the kitchen and so I shall fulfil my end of the contract. You should, however, be more attentive to the time of day next time Yuuta." With that, she gives me a brief tsk tsk and leaves the room.

"Phew, she's as assertive as ever, no? Really reminds me of the kids back at my old middle school who always gave me a hard time," He casually sits on one of the counter-tops with a refreshing optimism which contrasts his moody disposition yesterday.

"Good to see you feeling better about the situation," I smile kindly and he raises an eyebrow.

He scratches the back of his head as he flashes me an embarrassed smile. "I'm not usually like that, you know. Most of the time I'm the happy-go-lucky guy, anything goes and all. It's just... it really scared me yesterday, finding out that we had our memories tampered with," He frowns as looks up for while before continuing. "I mean, that's really precious to me... it's my SHSL talent after all right?" He gives a defeated laugh as he jumps down from the table surface.

"I know how scary it is, I mean we all had our memories wiped after all," I try to calm him down but it seems to trigger something within him and he snaps.

"You don't! No, you guys don't get it! I was tested, strictly observed and experimented on questionably. My memory is one hundred percent durable even through situations of extreme stress. There's no way someone can completely eliminate even a single neurone in my brain!" Fujiwara goes on and on as he paces back and forth looking very distressed. It seems whenever the topic of his memories come up, he'll transform from his easy-going demeanour into this sullen one. He kinda reminds me of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde type character a little bit.

I try to reason with him despite his stubborn choice to deny the truth. "But here we all are now," And with that Fujiwara slumps his shoulders down as he leans against the wall.

"Dammit, this was the only thing I had," He looks at me with a pained expression in his eyes. They're almost empty of any warmth as the bore into mine.

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

"Ever since I was a little boy, I was somehow always the target of bullies. I didn't think that there'd still be discrimination against people with glasses in this time of age but I guess I was wrong. They called me names like and pushed me around and before I had made any friends, they managed to get everyone else on their side. When my parents found out, they told me to just play it cool you know? That the bullies would stop if they couldn't get a reaction out of me and I tried following their advice. It didn't last long however, the bullies did stop harassing me physically and they seemed to back off in school but they didn't end their mean streak just yet. They continued to push me down with mind games and spread rumours throughout the school to further alienate me from the rest of my fellow classmates. I don't know what I ever did to them other than showing up to the first day of school as the only kid with glasses," Fujiwara confides in me and all I could do was pat him on his shoulder. I've never faced situations like these before so I'm struggling to find the right approach to comfort him.

{=**_Beautiful Days [Piano Arrangement]_**=}

"But the people here are actually really nice," He perks up when he talks about our current life here. "I mean, sure some of them are a little bit on the aggressive side but at least they're fair to the others. It's kinda freaky to admit, but maybe what Seijun and Akio said had some merits to it," I try to recall what the two of them had said but I wasn't really paying attention to them as I was contemplating about breakfast.

Noticing the lost look on my face, Fujiwara elaborates. "They were saying how living here was a blank slate and that it was clean from the 'filth' of the outside world. I guess they're right about that, but I don't want to live like some kind of caged animal. Just because the outside world is harsh and cruel doesn't mean that it's completely a bad place. I remember the good times from my childhood too, like my parents and teachers and stuff like that," He smiles as he reminisces about the past. "That's why I've made up my mind to keep looking for a way out, yeah?"

I nod curtly when a beeping sound comes from behind us to the wall on the east side of the kitchen. On the empty space of the wall, I notice something that looks like a switchboard with a total of 16 lightbulbs attached to it. "Oh yeah, you weren't here when Monokuma explained it so I might as well run it over for you. The kitchen and the pantry are linked electronically and there are sensors in the pantry to detect a person's life force," I feel my jaw drop slightly as the topic seems to stray further into sci-fi territory. "Well, by life force I mean a person's biometrics of course. Heart rate, body temperature, etc. and when the sensors pick up something it sends the data over to the kitchen side and the lights activate corresponding to the number of people present in the pantry. See, there's only one light that's switched on, so that's probably Yevan rummaging around for some ingredients,"

He gestures me to follow him as we make our way to the panel in the wall. He presses a switch below the row of lights and leans forward to talk into a built-in speaker. "How're you doing in there, Yevan?" After a brief pause of static, there is a short beep that emanates from the speakers and the static clears. "I am finished in my task of collecting ingredients for a gratuitous dish of phở!" The speakers cackle back to static before Fujiwara lets go of the switch and the light that was lit a moment ago turns dim. Fujiwara begins recounting all the ingredients and techniques used in the preparation of that Fuh dish as I stand there with conflicting feelings.

On one hand, I get to eat. On the other, I'm not sure if it will stay in my stomach. Soon, Yevan enters and they both proceed to set up the kitchen in preparation for the cooking as I get to help out in washing the selected produce and meats, but nothing more. Yevan insisted that she left all the chopping, slicing and dicing to her as Fujiwara lights up the stove. Yevan gracefully handles the knife as she cuts up all the ingredients with finesse into clean little chunks within the span of a few seconds. "One cannot be skilled in the art of Escrima if one does not have the passion for it," She smirks as she tosses the blade up into the air and catches it with unwavering confidence.

After the dish was done, I spent time alone in the cafeteria as Yevan and Fujiwara go back to exploring the school. I'm kinda glad that they left because after the first bite I instinctively blurted out "This Fuh is Fuh-reaking good!"

* * *

***Ding* *Dong *Ding* *Dong***

"The time is now 10:30 pm my dear students, so go and finish up any last minute errands before the nighttime curfew, or else... upupu..."

The speakers go silent and all of us gathered here in the cafeteria give a sigh of defeat. "So... no one has any updates?" Megumi asked plainly although the answer was pretty obvious to all of us. Kenta recounts his misadventures with Kotone earlier and Akiko, Makoto, Yevan and Fujiwara report similar results of the various area of the academy. Akio and Seijun stay out of the conversation as they sip from their tea cups as if this is completely normal everyday life for them. "...Alright, maybe we can try again tomorrow,"

Yevan orders everyone to fall back into their rooms and they comply without much protest. Everyone's worn out from searching every inch of the first floor and they all just want a good night's rest. Tsubasa gives the usual spiteful remark before taking off on his own, leaving Hibiki shuffing behind in the group of other students. As I'm about to get out from my chair, Megumi comes over to me. "I'm worried about Tsubasa," Her sentence caught me by surprise as I give a little 'hm?' in response. I'd expected her to be concerned for Hibiki since she's likely the more fragile of the two but I decide to hear her out anyways.

"Did something happen between them? Kuno mentioned that they're not as close as they were before and that you had something to do with it," I roll my eyes at that statement when I hear that Kuno ratted me out. I proceed to explain to her about the events that happened this morning before breakfast and she tilts her head as she mulls over my words. "... I see. I'm sure it's not your fault Yuuta, they probably just have some internal issues to sort out," She brings her hands to her chin as she looks ahead into the distance, wandering about something. "If something gets thrown out of balance, which half do you think will react more negatively Yuuta? The one that's volatile yet faithful, or the one that's passive yet more open?"

Once again she brings up weird deep stuff that sounds like it came from an expensive college textbook and I couldn't help but squint at her. Before I can refute however, Kenta called over and asked Megumi if she could help out with his investigation of the skylight tomorrow. "You know, since you're the... what was it? Arti...choke?" Megumi corrects him in explaining that an artichoke is a type of vegetable and agrees to his plans, wishing me goodnight as they proceed to discuss along the hallway.

As they disperse into their rooms, I'm left with this weird feeling in my guts- the kind you get when you realized you just ate some spoiled food and the only thing you can do is wait; wait for the pain to hit you.

* * *

**DAY 2 - Morning**

{=**_Beautiful Morning_**=}

Once again, we were woken to the announcement Monokuma made at 7 in the morning. During breakfast, a slightly confused Seijun had asked why the lift of the nightime curfew was set at 6 when the announcements he make are exactly at 7 am. "Well, I think 6 in the morning is a little too early for me to wake up. A bear needs his beauty sleep after all, besides haven't you heard of a certain mammalian ritual we like to call hibernation? Be grateful that I gave you kids an extra hour to sleep-in or I'm gonna play construction noises in your rooms when you sleep tonight! Nyahahaha!" Just like that, he signs off without any extra explanation although by now, we were kinda used to it anyways.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully as we retraced our steps through the building to look over the same rooms again. It was around noon when Monokuma unexpectedly broadcasted an announcement throughout the whole school. "Important! Important! An urgent matter has arisen. All remaining students are required to attend the meeting in gym room 10 minutes from now. Late attendees and absent students will be punished. Have a nice day!" The voice was oddly monotonous and lacked the exuberant nature that Monokuma had.

"It was probably a recorded message so he can play it whenever he wants," Ryoka quizzically lets her mind wander as we stood there gathered in front of the faculty door. We had previously split up to investigate and a small group of students including Ryoka, Tsubasa and I had gotten picked to inspect the oddly locked room. "At least now we know that that toy is no better than a lazy sack of stuffing," Tsubasa scoffs as he crosses his arms. He stands further behind us, disinterested in the door that was supposed to be our responsibility.

"Or... it could also mean that Monokuma's prepared for all kinds of occasions beforehand. Perhaps we need to reconsider how thorough our opponent is," Ryoka gives the doorknob a twist and as expected, it jams before even a full rotation. "Well whatever it is, I think we better head for the gym now, don't you think? I wouldn't want to end up blown to pieces here," I try to pull both of them back at the matter at hand and Ryoka frowns at the door one final time before abandoning it. The three of us shuffle down the hall towards the gym.

Once inside we notice most of the group are already there gathered in front of the stage. "Alright, we're almost at full capacity here, upupu," Monokuma chuckles on stage and I finally see what's behind him. What used the be the screen that showed us the message to activate our ElectroiDs now shows a black silhouette of all the 16 students on a red background. Below the outline of sudents was the word 'Survivors' along with a counter that's set at 16- the total number of students in this school. Looking at the screen, it only fuels my anxiety even more.

Kenta greets us as we make our way over and intergrate with the group. "Hey there, what do you think all this is about?"

"Knowing Monokuma, it's probably some stupid attempt to cause more distrust amongst us," Tsubasa scoffs as he rolls his eyes.

"How did your investigation of the skylight go?" Ryoka asked curiously.

"Well, Megumi checked every inch of the ceiling while I propped her on my shoulders. It was easy since she's even lighter than Kotone," Kenta explains recklessly and I quickly look around to spot if she had heard that. Fortunately, she was one of the few people who haven't arrived at the gym yet along with Hibiki and Kimiko. "According to her, the hinge only opens on the other side of the glass and that it's sealed in pretty good with some super industrial glue or something,"

"Ah, so in other words, we may be able to open it from the inside... but we just need to have the right tools," Ryoka ponders this as the remaining three girls step into the gym via elevator. Tsubasa glances over at Hibiki who seems to avert her eyes from his and he goes back to looking at the stage.

"Alrighty then, everyone's here and just in time too! There was about 40 seconds left on the timer before I call out an airstrike on you guys!" Monokuma glares at us "Let the meeting commence! Nyahahaha!"

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

"I'm sure you're all dying to know why I summoned you here," He pauses to get a reaction but seeing as we just kept quiet he drops his head in disappointment before continuing on. "I'm here today because according to my collected data, there has been a huge increase in friendship levels! Experts say that a group as diverse you guys should already be tearing each others' throats out so STOP BEING UNNATURAL FREAKS OF NATURE AND KILL SOMEONE ALREADY! SCIENCE COMMANDS YOU TO SUBMIT TO DARWINISM!" He yells out and stomps his feet but his miniature size has the opposite effect.

"That's totally unfair! Why should we kill each other?!" Kimiko squeals out.

"Whaaaaaat? Don't you guys want to escape? This does not compute!" Monokuma pretends to twitch and makes robotic movements.

"Well of course we want out, but we sure as hell ain't gonna off one of our own for that! There's gotta be another way!" Tetsu swipes his hand through the air in protest.

"One of your own? Have you guys already formed a tribal society of adolescent losers?" Monokuma tilts his head as he stares at us blankly.

"Not me, I'd rather not go back outside there so I don't really see a point in playing your senseless game," Akio sneers as he holds his head up high.

"A gaaaaaaame?!" Monokuma collapses behind the podium, only to suddenly pop back out.

"Now you kids listen up! I did not spend my entire summer vacation toiling away to make the perfect Hope's Peak Academy for you guys so better learn some appreciation and you better learn it fast! You little punks don't want to escape? Fine by me, I've still got some more tricks up my sleeves, upupupu!" Monokuma twirls around and picks at his non-existent sleeves.

"Alright, if freedom doesn't get you uncomfortably hot then maybe a little prize will. Here's the truth and nothing but the truth kids; if you manage to kill someone, I'll open up most of the doors on the first floor and I'll also give you access to the second floor! Upupu!" Monokuma quietly awaits for our response.

"Really? You think making us cover more ground is going to-" Before Tetsu can finish his sentence, Akiko cuts him off. "THE REC ROOM!" She shouts as her eyes sparkle in the light.

She proceeds to power-walk her way towards Monokuma who takes a few steps back, feeling somewhat threatened. "Whoa there! Don't make me call out the Arrows of Orion again, little missy!" Akiko ignores Monokuma's remark as she is determined to get her point across. "If someone gets killed does that mean you'll open the rec room?"

Monokuma facepalms and groans. "What part of 'most of the doors on the first floor' did you not get? OF COURSE I'LL OPEN THE REC ROOM! GRRRRRR!" He growls at Akiko but she simply just jumps up and down excitedly. "WOOHOO! If I snuff out someone here then... Muahahaha!" She does a creepy laugh as she extends her hands to the heavens.

"Akiko, no," Yevan calls out and she stops. "Oh right, got a little carried away there, hehe," she apologizes and resumes her normal self as if we didn't just witness any of that.

"Nope not at all, toots. Go all out next time, shed some blood and do your worst," Monokuma flashes her a smile and gives her a thumbs up. Tsubasa however clears his throat loudly and obnoxiously. "Please, if this is all you have to say you might as well have just announced it over the intercom. I'm leaving this mess," He spins around rapidly, ignoring all audible protests from the other students.

"Oh... but there is something else. You know, every little murder mystery should have a motive. A spark, or a jolt to jump start the process, yes? Well lucky for all of you I have exactly that ready for you guys!" Monokuma smiles creepily and remains non-responsive for some time.

"H-hey man, why are you giving us the cold shoulder again!" Kenta cries out.

Monokuma tilts his head in confusion. "Hmm? What cold shoulder? I'm talking to you right now!"

"Stop this nonsense at once and tell us exactly what your plan is," Yevan growls as she crosses her arms, her furious gaze locked onto Monokuma.

"Oh right, that. Well it's..." He pauses for dramatic effect. "You know what? I forgot! Upupupu!" He laughs maniacally as we stand there exchanging confuse looks amongst ourselves.

"How can you forget something so important? It is unwise to hide this knowledge from us! It's borderline criminal!" Seijun points his finger accusingly at Monokuma.

{=**_DISTRUST_**=}

"Upupu. I forgot. I can't remember. Oh wait. I remember something! But it's not the memory I'm looking for... Or is it? Hmm, I don't know. I don't even know my own memories, how sad! Upupupupu!" Monokuma mumbles incoherently to himself. Or at least, it looks like he's being incoherent. Hibiki squirms as she holds her hands under her chin. "Memories, memories, memories... they're such a weird thing aren't they? Right Fujiwara? I'm sure you of all people should know how valuable the power of a memory is," He turns his head over at Fujiwara and the Dr Jekyll side is surpressed as he goes all Mr Hyde and starts cursing under his breath.

"Upupu... Maybe I did have a motive to give you. Maybe I don't. Sadly I can't remember. Oh well, at least I know for sure the memories I have are completely safe inside my head. Nyahahaha!" He bursts out into laughter again and runs back to the stage before turning around to face us once more. "I'm sure my memories will be restored by some miracle if something traumatic like a robbery, kidnapping or _murder_ occurs and spark something in my head, upupupu..." He then disappears though his secret trap door behind the podium table.

"W-what the hell was that all about?" Kenta shakes as he tries his best to keep calm.

"Who cares, it's just Monokuma gibberish. If you were stupid enough to fall for that maybe you should stick to fighting and leave the detective work to us," Tsubasa scoffs as he marches away towards the elevators.

"Hey! Take that back bro! Not cool, man," Kenta gets flustered and chases after him.

The rest of the students begin to disperse except for Fujiwara and Ryoka. "Don't let him get to you, alright? He knows he can't touch you physically so he's trying to torment you through your mind. He preys on your insecurities like some kind of self-esteem parasite," Ryoka tries to cheer up a down-trodden Fujiwara but it doesn't seem to be working. The easygoing Fujiwara doesn't respond to Ryoka and maintains his silent charade. He simply brushes off Ryoka's attempt to alleviate the stressful situation and walks past me to the elevator.

The room is dead quiet now that the rest of the students have left the gym. Ryoka looks at me warily at first but quickly switches to a determined gaze as she speaks her resolve in front of me. "This is exactly why we can't fall into Monokuma's trap. He's goading us to despair over our imprisonment and confusion. I'm not sure how long the peace will last, Yuuta. Promise me you won't think about it too much, alright?" She shakes her head in defeat and steps gingerly towards the elevator.

_I'm not sure if I can hold my end of the promise either..._

* * *

**DAY 2 - Free Time: Evening**

**Location: Storage and Supplies**

**Available: Hibiki, Kimiko**

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

Morale is down significantly ever since that meeting with Monokuma happened in the gym a few hours ago. Megumi, Kenta and Tetsu are working on the skylight and Akiko and Ryoka are trying to figure out a way to open the faculty door without breaking it down. The rest of the group is either trying their best to ignore Monokuma or...

I shake the thought out of my head as I don't want to even think of the possibility that someone amongst could even consider killing. As my footsteps echo throughout the hallway, I finally reach the room where you could supposedly find all the tools you could ever need to commit murder. I'd volunteered to go get the necessary tools for both teams to proceed in their investigations and so here I am standing in front of the door labeled 'Storage and Supplies'.

Inside I see two figures, however their position sends a dangerous warning signal through my brain as I notice one of them has their back faced to the other and is crouched down while it looks like the figure behind it has their hands outstretched above their head. Instinctively, I barge in through the door and screamed at the top of my lungs for them to stop.

Both of them are startled when they see me charging in and let out a couple of high-pitched screams. It seems in my unhealthy state of paranoia, I had assumed that something malicious was going on in the room and I embarrassed myself big-time as I apologize whole-heartedly to Hibiki and Kimiko.

"Oh, it's ok. I understand why someone would get a little jumpy considering what just happened," Hibiki smiles brightly as she empathizes with my situation.

"Don't do that again, Yuuta! You really scared the crap out of me!" Kimiko clutches her chest with one hand and lets out a long sigh.

"I'm really sorry... I guess, I just let Monokuma's words get into my head," Once more I apologize for startling these two girls.

"Ugh, Monokuma is such a weird persona, don't you think?" Kimiko begins to rant as she heads back to where she was crouching and searches through the bottom shelf. "I mean, I've never had any experience with kidnapping before, but yikes! I didn't expect him to be some crazy lunatic with a talking teddy bear,"

"He's definitely... something. But I don't want to think about Monokuma or his words anymore alright? I mean it's one thing to tell us that he stole our memories but now he's saying that he'll return it to us if we commit murder? Oh, the whole thing just makes me feel sick in my stomach," Hibiki shivers as she spoke and proceeds to search along the higher shelves.

_Oh I see... Judging from the angle over here, that's why I thought Hibiki was going to slam something down onto Kimiko..._

Looking around, I strain my eyes as I scan my surroundings to look for the tools section of the supplies room. The room is so large that if I tried looking on my own, I'd probably have to spend half an hour just to even find the right aisle, let alone the right set of equipment needed. "Er... Sorry to interrupt whatever it is you girls are looking for, but do you know where the tools are located?" I ask as I scratch the back of my head.

Hibiki turns around as her eyes light up to face me. "Oh I know exactly where it is! I've been searching the storage room extensively since the first day here!" She crouches down to Kimiko and asked her if it's okay for her to show me around. "Sure, why not. It's not like there's a lot of anime figurines in this place anyways. Storage and supplies? More like under-stocked convenience store," Kimiko continues ranting about the room's inadequate selection of items.

Hibiki gets up and faces me "She really likes anime, like a lot!" Hibiki leans in closer to my ears and whispers "I think she's secretly an otaku,"

"It's not a secret," Kimiko plainly respond as she doesn't look up from her search.

"Oh... Well anyways, I think I'll show Yuuta around now," Hibikki smiles and pulls me by my hand. The sudden and unannounced contact of skin sends a little bit of blood rushing to my face. We skirt down about 5 aisles, passing through toiletries, gardening tools and even art supplies until we finally reach the hardware section of the supplies room. Rows and rows of vicious-looking hammers, saws, and even vices are found in this area.

"Wow... there's... definitely a lot of tools in this place. All sharp and heavy too, heh heh," I unconsciously mumble that out loud and Hibiki gasps as she habitually puts her hands under her chin, as usual. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... again," I scratch the back of my head again as I continue to make a fool of myself in front of the SHSL Hairdresser.

Hibiki still has her eyes closed and her eyebrows are furrowed together in an expression of fear. She slowly opens them again and gently let go of her hands. "Sorry, I'm the one who always jumps at the littlest of things," She turns her head to look away from me.

"Oh, is that why Tsubasa's always around you?" in the heat of the moment I blurt out that insensitive comment and Hibiki looks a little hurt. She lets out a long sigh before turning to face me and nods slowly.

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

"Tsubasa is... was always there for me since the earliest day that I can remember, but... something happened during our time transitioning from elementary school to middle school that sorta drove a wedge between us. Don't get me wrong we're still twins and I will always have my brother's back, it's just... well, we don't really talk since then, you know," Hibiki's voice trembles as she brings up her rocky past.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. I don't really want to pressure you or anything," I gave her an awkward smile and she smiles back.

"No, it's ok. Besides, in order to avoid thinking about what Monokuma said, I just have to start trusting my friends here, right? If I have a high level of trust, it can counter the doubts that Monokuma is spreading, right?" Hibiki goes on about something I'm not entirely sure is true or works that way.

"Anyways, Tsubasa was always very protective of me even since we were kids and he would always try his best to make sure I don't get hurt. But... that sorta backfired in an unexpected way. Because of the fact that he was very protective of me, he grew more and more cynical with his outlook of the world. He became colder to everyone else and sometimes it would even extend to the people whom I regarded as friends. Basicaly, the Tsubasa you know now... is my entire fault," Hibiki wipes a tear that forms in her left eye as her eyes start to water.

"He puts up this wall to block out everyone else and because of that he can't make friends, or any lasting relationships. I don't want to sound like a jerk but I wish that he didn't have to be protective of me, you know? He ruined his life socially and it was all because of me. Even so... the more he was protective of me, the more I pulled away from him. I couldn't tell him that I didn't appreciate all that he was doing for me but I also couldn't keep living with the guilt anymore. That's why... we barely talk now," Hibiki struggles to hold back tears.

"But the really weird part is that... on the day we all woke up together, I had this really weird feeling that all that never existed. Like we were the closest of siblings who always stuck around for each other and yet, it's the undeniable truth that this is all my fault," Hibiki holds her hands under her chins again as her chest heaves up and down through her sobs. "I'm sorry... for dumping all of this on you..."

She wipes the tears that are rapidly falling down her cheeks as her eyes grow redder by the passing second. "I- I'm a mess... I'm sorry, wow... I need t-to clean myself up," She storms off and moments later I hear the door slam shut behind her. I didn't even have the chance to apologize or cheer her up when a rapid march of footsteps could be heard growing louder and louder.

"Hey what the heck did you do big sis Hibiki, huh!" Kimiko yells at me as she tries her best to stand tall and proud. "Just because I'm small doesn't meant I won't get angry! You're gonna pay for making her cry!" Kimiko then jumps into a boxers pose and gives me a good punch in the guts. When she sees that I don't react, she punches me again.

"Kimiko, listen! I didn't do anything to Hibiki!" She punches me over and over until it starts to tickle before I block her last attempt to punch me. "She cried because she thinks it's her fault Tsubasa's being mean to everyone else," Kimiko gasps in shock and apologizes for her flurry of punches.

"Oh no! Is she alright? I should go check on her, where did she go?" She asked and I told her that she went back to her room to clean up. "Oh, alright I'll go check out her room then. She promised me that she was gonna do my hair later tonight but I'm not sure if it's the best idea now..." She hurriedly leaves after Hibiki and I am left alone with a room full of potential murder weapons.

I chose the most non-lethal looking tools I can find and head back over to my friends.

* * *

The plan to open the faculty door was a bust as we tried unscrewing the doorknob when Monokuma showed up saying that it's against the rules. Ryoka however countered that removing the screws does not break anything as it can easily be screwed back on and Monokuma promptly added a new rule.

**Rule 7: Unscrewing a door's knob is prohibited and violators will be punished.**

The rule was oddly specific but when we pointed that out, Monokuma snapped back at us saying that we were lucky that he decided not to punish us as he was trying to set an example of the headmaster's benevolent goodwill. The garden skylight crew was a failure too as the sealant that held the panes to the frames were extremely heat resistant that even the blowtorch I found in the supplies room couldn't even melt it away.

We decided to end the investigation party earlier today as our hopes were dashed by the fact that everything we tried so far has been completely useless. That night, nobody really spoke during dinner or even had the appetite too finish it anyways. The weight of reality was beginning to set in on us as we realized more and more that there was no way out from the first floor of the academy, and it was a very crushing weight.

Having barely touched my dinner, I went back to my room and lied down in bed for a few hours, staring at the ceiling to pass the time as I contemplated Monokuma's words in the gym. Could I really live like this forever? Is there really no way out other thank killing? Is the mastermind who set this all up really that thorough in covering every inch of this school and made it absolutely unescapable?

All these questions ran through my mind and they brought me down to the darkest corners of my mind where primal and sadistic thoughts lie. Could I, a timid high school boy, really be capable of doing something like that? Could I live knowing that someone else's blood would be on my hands? As the questions grew, so too did my hunger when my stomach growled loudly as I laid there in my bed.

At the time, I didn't really feel hungry at all when all the food was laid out before my eyes, but now... the hunger was driving me mad. I shot up from the bed and made a beeline for the cafeteria. Perhaps if I satiate my hunger, I could also feel better about the current situation. Just as I reached the cafeteria however, a familiar bell rung followed by an announcement.

***Ding* *Dong *Ding* *Dong***

"The time is now 10:30 pm my dear students, so go and finish up any last minute errands before the nighttime curfew, or else... upupu..."

30 minutes was more than enough time for me to go grab any leftover food in the kitchen, finish it and be back by my room. As I made my way through the cafeteria and into the left kitchen door, what awaited me was about to bring me an even greater sense of despair.

{=**_Junk Food for a Dashing Youth_**=}

Akiko and Makoto were chowing down on the last pieces of food as they cleared out everyone else's' plates... again! "Oh...no... I was too... late," I could only whisper pathetically as I slumped down on my knees in defeat. Akiko, having noticed my presence, hops over with her mouth full and greets me. "Heya Yuuta! A little late for a midnight stroll eh?" Her words were muffled as all the food in her mouth was bouncing around.

"So... hungry..." I say almost on the verge of tears.

"Eh? What's that? Speak up you little chump?" Makoto walks on over as she cleans her teeth with a toothpick.

"I haven't eaten..." I muster up the remainder of my strength to reply.

"EH?! It's so late! You're not anorexic right, Yuuta?!" Akiko cries out as she finally swallows her food.

"I just didn't feel like eating, before," I got up with the help of Akiko.

"Tch, let this be a lesson for you next time. It doesn't matter if you're hungry or not, when the time comes, you have to fill up your stomach with food or else you're going to starve to death later, Got that?" Makoto speaks with a serious tone in her voice and I'm assuming that what she had just said was some kind of gangster-motivational quote.

Suddenly, a beeping sound came from the wall to the right and we all turned out attentions towards it. A light had lit up on the switchboard panel and Akiko pressed the button below the speakers. "Hello, hello! We come in peace!"

"W-wha?! Is someone there?!" Came a voice on the other end of the line. I discern that it belonged to Kenta.

"Yeaparoo! It's Makoto, Yuuta and me over here!" She replies cheerfully into the speakers.

"Oh... cool heh heh. I'm just grabbing some chips here. Anybody want some?" And when I heard that I immediately respond.

"Yes please, I'm starving over here," I lean into the speakers and Akiko adds "Oooh yeah, bring him a drink too, I think Yuuta's an anorexic," She whispers the last part in hopes that I don't hear but I'm not deaf.

"Oh, sure I'll be right over," The call drops and Akiko releases the button for the kitchen-pantry intercom.

"See, things aren't so bad now, eh?" Makoto says cheerfully as she slaps me in the back. Thank god my stomach is empty; otherwise my dinner would have probably ejected itself.

The lights on the board go dim and a few moments later Kenta walks in with... "RAMEN!" I shout out loud, scaring Akiko and annoying Makoto.

{=**_Beautiful Day [Piano Arrangement]_**=}

"Oh, yeah... I figured you need all the food you can eat buddy, since you're suffering from anorexia and stuff," He drops a bunch of potato chips, cups of instant ramen and cans of cola in my hands. I would've objected about the fact that I really do not have anorexia but the sight of all my favorite food leaves me with heavy lips.

My mouth waters as I immediately rip open a curry-flavored ramen cup and fill it up with hot water. Akiko and Makoto leave for the night as they don't have anything else to do and Kenta helps me fill up the other cup noodles while I explain to him that I do not have any eating disorders. He leaves after a while and I let him have one of my soda cans since it's the least that I could do for bringing all this stuff over.

That night my dinner was just junk food and soda but it was how I got it that made me rethink my actions earlier in the evening. I can't believe I actually considered the possibility of killing, when there are people like Akiko, Makoto and Kenta around. As I slurp down my ramen noodles, I believe that I've found my resolve to find another way out without falling into Monokuma's trap.

_That is, until we discovered something horrible the next morning..._

* * *

**DAY 3 - Morning**

***Ding* *Dong *Ding* *Dong***

"Rise and shine, pipsqueaks! It's 7 am, so get ready for a brand new day of mayhem and misery!"

{=**_Beautiful Day_**=}

Feeling refreshed from my newfound spirit yesterday, I did not waste any time hesitating and got up immediately to face the day and all its accompanying obstacles. As expected, since I woke up the earliest, there was barely anyone in the cafeteria when I got there. Yevan and Makoto greets me as expected since they're both the early birds of the group.

"Good morning, Yuuta! I hope you've had a pleasant night's rest," Yevan smiles as she greets me with her authoritative behavior.

"Good morning Yevan! Yes, I have had a great night's rest and I hope you had one too because a new day is awaiting us today!" I reply with just as must spirit as she does and she actually looks genuinely surprised for once.

"Whoa, Yuuta what's gotten into you today? Are you having a sugar rush or something from all that junk food you ate last night?" Makoto scratches her hair as looks at me quizzically.

"Junk food? What are you doing eating that rotten garbage for, Yuuta? A real man needs a proper meal!" Yevan shoots me a wide smile as I walk over to the pantry door.

"Yeah, you're right! And I'm gonna whip myself up something good even if I don't know how to cook!" I shout back at the two of them at the table.

"That's the spirit! Why did you wait so long to show me this side of yours Yuuta?" She calls back and I couldn't help but chuckle.

_Because I only found out last night!_

As I turn my attention to the door, I reach out for the handle. As my fingers touch the metallic handle of the door, it swings open immediately with the littlest amount of pressure applied. I didn't really think much about it at the time as I thought it was simply one of the many features of Dormitory Despair. With only breakfast in mind, I stepped into the room thinking about what kind of omelet to prepare. What awaited inside however, had completely ruined my appetite for the rest of the day.

{=**_Hope's Breaking Noise_**=}

In the middle of the room, I saw it. Hanging by a noose under a steel pipe in the ceiling, was a body; a body with brown hair that seemed to shine so brightly and had a pristine sheen to it that seemed to contrast the lifeless eyes and the gaping mouth, frozen in an expression of pure anguish. It didn't even register in my head at that time that the body I saw was still swinging as if it had just lost the struggle to breathe and laid limp as it swung back and forth like a morbid human pendulum.

The body I saw belonged to the Super High School Level Hairdresser: Hibiki Yukata. This was the first time I ever saw a body in real life, this was a person who I knew, and this was my friend who I was just talking to yesterday.

And the only thing I could do was scream.

* * *

**.**

**Chapter 1: Cutting All Ties**

**[Daily Life:** End**]**

Survivors_: _**15**

Deaths**: Hibiki Yukata**

**.**

* * *

**a/n: And there we have it, the first death of the syoc. Cutting the red ribbon to officiate the killing life is Hibiki Yukata who belongs to shaydedlyt. Formal apologies and condolences all around but the show must go on, no? See you all next update :)**


	5. Ch 1: Cutting All Ties - Deadly Life

**Update: Fixed the error of mixing up Kimiko and Hibiki's names; thanks ShadedLyht for pointing that out. Also, the poll is up so if anyone wants to check out the majority's suspect and stuff go right to my profile and have a look :)**

**a/n: Phew, finally have internet so I get to upload this. Alright, here we go the investigation period of Chapter 1, also known as Deadly Life. I want to say that I won't be listing out the 'truth bullets' as the evidence and clues as they are discovered and obtained, but I'll list them out in the next chapter which is the trial. This is so you guys can have fun trying to figure out who the culprit is, I hope...**

* * *

**.**

**Chapter 1: Cutting All Ties**

**[Deadly Life]**

**.**

* * *

{=_**Tropical Despair**_=}

"What's the matter? What is it?!"

My senses were dulled as I kept on looking at Hibiki's face. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't look away. There was some grotesque charm in the scene before me; fear, anger, despair, denial... and even curiosity, had all formed deep inside of me and melded together into a torrential surge of emotion that was uncontainable. It pushed up as it rose higher and higher from within the depths of my guts and bubbled up in my throat. Even though I was screaming at the top of my lungs, I couldn't hear myself or the sound of footsteps rushing from the cafeteria.

In fact, it wasn't until a hand jerked me back from the doorway that I had snapped out of my non-stop screaming trance. It was Yevan who had reached me first and she looked at me dead serious before saying the following words. "It's not... a b-," She could barely finish her sentence when Makoto zoomed past both of us and rushed into the pantry. Surprisingly, it was just quiet in there.

A few seconds later she staggered out with a pale face. She looked as if she was about to throw up but she kept her shoulders tense and her movement stiff and rigid, trying desperately to keep her cool. Yevan's eyes widened as she realized what could be the only possibility to trigger our reactions. "It's a bo-... shit! SHIT! SHIT! IT'S A BODY ISN'T IT?!" Yevan stumbled backwards, slack jawed and sweating nervously. She was honestly the last person I'd expect to have a reaction like this. Her composed demeanor instantly vanished at the realization that someone had died, for real.

"Fuck! Fuck this! Shit!" She muttered under her breath as she unsteadily dragged herself out of the cafeteria while bumping into some tables and chairs along the way. The door unexpectedly swung open and knocked her backwards much to the surprise of Kenta and Megumi who gasped at the sight of a flustered Yevan in front of them. Kenta reached down to help Yevan up but she swiped his hand away and kept cursing under her breath as she disappeared into the hallway behind them.

"Jeez, what the heck was that all about?" Kenta shrugged to Megumi and she shrugs back.

"Yo, 'sup guys! Why are you guys standing there making fish faces at us huh?" He jokingly greets us as they walk over to where we are. Megumi did not joke along however, when she saw the startled looks on our faces. I tried to talk but my lips just felt too heavy to move. It was Makoto who had to break the news to them, but not before she slammed her fist to the wall. "Hibiki's dead," She said solemnly through gritted teeth.

The audible sounds of gasps were heard as the colour drained from both of their faces. Megumi clutched her sleeves and tried to make her way into the pantry but somehow I had regained feeling in my legs and proceeded to block her route. "No, don't look-" I mumbled weakly. I knew it wouldn't stop her from checking out the... body and I was right. She gave me a firm, plastic smile, the kind you gave when you're not in the mood for other peoples' bull.

The moment she stepped into the pantry, there was an odd chime that echoed loudly throughout possibly the whole Dormitory Despair; the whole school even.

***Pim* *Pam* *Pim* *Pom***

"A body has been discovered! The investigation period shall commence soon and the Monokuma file will promptly be given. Please work together for the sake of an entertaining class trial!"

The monotonous message- probably pre-recorded; as Ryoka had pointed out- had played as if this was just another regular school announcement. Kenta's eyes were the size of soccer balls when he realized the significance of the message. "B-b-body? For reals?" He voice trembles as he trudges on into the pantry, as if under a trance. Unlike Megumi, who silently took in the macabre view in, Kenta gave a loud scream as he stumbled backwards and fell into the door, banging his head on the handle.

"Whoa, be careful there! We don't want to add to the body count unnecessarily before the first trial even happens now, do we? Upupu!" Monokuma pops out of nowhere, as usual and appears to help Kenta up- a much help as a stuffed teddy bear can anyways. Still dazed, Kenta looks at Monokuma with a bored expression while the rest of us held our breath at his sudden appearance. By the time he'd realized the presence of our guest of honor, Monokuma had already pranced his way to the now still body of Hibiki.

Monokuma look up and down at the dangling body and nods his head, as if giving a sign of approval. "So it's finally happened, eh? Good, 'cause I was starting to get worried that everyone would get all mushy and I'd be forced plant a mole in the group," He then puts a paw on Hibiki's foot and proceeds to defile her body by swinging her body around.

"What the fuck?! Stop it you asshole!" Makoto growls and clenches her fists and as she takes a step towards Monokuma, he responds by extending his claws at her. "Dude! That's just so... wrong! Oh man, oh man!" Kenta looks positively green and crawls out of the pantry in terror. "Please, leave her body alone!" Megumi raises her voice for once but Monokuma ignores all of our reactions as he continues to treat Hibiki's body as a plaything.

All of a sudden, there is a loud banging noise from outside and when I stick my head out the door; I see it's everyone else. They all have worried looks on their faces as they hurried over in a brisk pace. Monokuma seems to realize this and stops his disgusting actions at once. Soon, there was less and less space in the pantry as one by one, their faces contorted into a mask of terror.

"... So it has begun..." Kuno mutters as his face pales under the light.

"Crap..." Akio turns away after catching a glimpse of the body.

The loudest scream came from Akiko who was hiding behind Tetsu although even the tall guy can be seen visibly shaken by the discovery.

Kotone gasps as she tries to shield Kimiko's eyes from the cruel scene before us but despite her small size, Kimiko seems surprisingly undisturbed and tries to pry Kotone's hands off her face.

Ryoka takes in a deep breath and keeps her eyes closed for a few moments before letting it all out and steeling herself for what's to come.

The only people here who are unnaturally calm are Seijun and Fujiwara. It makes sense for Seijun, considering he's the SHSL prosecutor and all. He's probably dealt with a scene similar to this before to solve murder cases...

_Can a high school student really take part in murder trials?_

_Wait... I've got bigger problems to deal with right now..._

Fujiwara on the other hand, hasn't made a sound as he's not even in the pantry. He stands further away from the doorway back in the cafeteria as he looks dejectedly down to the floor. Mumbling something under his breath, Seijun orders him to come in and look at the body for an unbiased and complete witness panel.

"No... I don't want to remember this," He looks up with an intense glare shooting from his eyes. Seijun huffs and attempts to scold him for his cowardice but Fujiwara cuts him off before he can even say anything. "Part of having an amazingly great memory means that I not only have to live with the good ones, I have to keep all the bad memories with me to the grave," His voice is quiet but audibly serious. "I want to remember her as the bright girl that always tried to defend her brother, no matter how much of a jerk he is...,"

Our focus had shifted from the body to Fujiwara... or rather, to the person behind him.

"What... did you say...?" An intense voice escaped through gritted teeth as a solemn Tsubasa grabbed Fujiiwara's shoulder. When he did not get a reply, he roughly pushed him aside and glared at us as he marched into the room. I was mistaken in thinking that he was focusing his anger at us at first as I realize that his eyes remained fixed at a level, unblinking. His gaze was hollow and empty, mirroring a puppet who has lost his strings.

He took a few steps in and passed us as we cleared out a path, not wanting to cause him anymore discomfort than what he already had to deal with. "Tsubasa, don't..." Someone called out weakly with a breaking voice. Tsubasa kept his eyes fixed to wall in front of him as he reached the midpoint of the door and the other end of the room. Slowly, he turned his head, shaking as he does, to the cause of our shocked screams and cries.

Perhaps it was just the shock that had numbed him, but he didn't scream, shout or yell like most of us had predicted. He simply stared at his sister's body with a watery gleam in his eyes. I could tell that he was using all the energy and strength he had to lift his feet as he made his way to the centre of the room as the distinct shuffling sound of shoes scraping against the metal floors were heard.

"It was supposed to be me..."

{=_**Desire for Execution**_=}

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME!" He yelled out in a mix of frustration and sorrow. His shoulders could be seen rising up and down unsteadily as a faint sobbing sound was heard. "How did this... happen..." He dropped to his knees and placed his hands on top of his head as he looked down. From our side of the room, droplets of water had slowly formed as they stained the ground and some on Hibiki's shoes.

"You were supposed to get out of here..." He mumbled through choked sobs.

"You were supposed to live..."

"I was the one who was supposed to be in that noose!" He shouted out with pain in every word as he punched his fist against the floor. He still hasn't looked up from the floor since seeing his sister a few moments ago.

"Upupu, boy this sure is getting melodramatic, huh?" Monokuma rests his paws behinds his head and saunters over to us.

"Hey! D-don't say that here. It's inappropriate!" Akiko pokes her head out from behind Tetsu and scolds Monokuma for disturbing the grieving man. Tsubasa however completely ignores Monokuma and his venomous remarks as he keeps going on and on about how he should be the one hanging from the ceiling.

"My, my... what's gotten into you today Akiko? You're so serious all of a sudden! I'd expected someone like you to make a comment about this being character development, that is very much needed, for a snarky jerk like Tsubasa! Upupu!" Monokuma teases her, treading headfirst into offensive territory. "I mean, it's not like someone died or something- oh wait. Someone did! Nyahahaha!"

Akiko whimpers and scurries out of the pantry. "Hey! Cut the crap! You're just making the situation worse, asshole!" Makoto furiously waves her fists at Monokuma who simply tilts his head in confusion. "Dear me, what's gotten into all you precious little children today? Everyone's so easily agitated... that's no fun! You should be all be happy! The exciting part that everyone's been waiting for has finally arrived after all!"

Before Monokuma can elaborate further however, Tsubasa- with a voice that's guttural and deep- yells "Get out!" from his spot. Monokuma looks annoyed and is slightly taken aback by this sudden change in his behavior. "Hey, talking back to the headmast-," A sharp swerve of the head reveals Tsubasa's deathly gaze that quiets even the most eccentric amongst us. "I SAID GET OUT!" He shouts once more with eyes that are visibly red and puffy from all the tears he's shed.

"We... should give him some time to grieve," Ryoka suggests and walks out of the room quietly.

Not wanting to aggravate a vulnerable Tsubasa any longer and seeing all there was to see in the pantry anyways, the last of us remaining departed from the chilly pantry. The ones who had left earlier- even Kenta and Yevan had returned from wherever they ran off to- were seen fidgeting awkwardly in their seats at the centre table. I snuck a glance at the other students around me as they cautiously pull their chairs out and take their seats with Monokuma joining us this morning.

I hadn't even thought of anything to say; in fact, I'm still reeling from the shock of being the first one to find Hibiki's body. To think that Hibiki would be the one to start off Monokuma's sadistic game by committing suicide-

_Wait... suicide?_

"Alright, I'm sure you're all feeling pretty antsy by now. I mean, even the fireball here is actually quiet for once," Monokuma sneers at Yevan who promptly turns her head away as she slumps further in her chair. "It's just... I can't look at dead bodies...," She mutters under her breath to no one at particular. As she darts her eyes around, she catches the gaze of Makoto on her with an eyebrow raised. Feeling flustered, she rolls her eyes and gives an exasperated sigh. "I'll reveal my distaste of corpses at a later, more suitable time," She brings her fingers up to the bridge of her nose and massages it.

"... You said something about a trial right? And some kind of file too?" Ryoka muses calmly as she sits with her back straight and hands on the table, as if she's leading some sort of conference meeting.

{=_**Despair-Syndrome**_=}

"Ah, correctomundo! Thanks for reminding me, sweet-cheeks. Right-o, then! Now that a body has been discovered, you guys get to put on your little detective thinking hats and do some actual sleuthing around for clues and stuff. It's like one of those detective shows with a new case every week, upupupu!"

"And I'm guessing the trial is where we piece together who the culprit is," Ryoka places a hand on her chin as Seijun perks up at the mention of the word 'trial'. "In that case, we should get started immediately!"

"Hold your horses there, Phoenix Wrong. I haven't finished my explanation yet, you know. Has anyone ever told you you're quite reckless?" Monokuma peers over at Yevan for a bit then looks back at Seijun who frowns in embarrassment. "Anyways, Ryoka's spot on, once again. The trial is where you guys will figure out whodunit each time there's a murder. If you guys get it right in a voting process that occurs after the discussion period, then the culprit gets executed!" Monokuma cheerily announces with glee, much to our horror.

"Executed? Like... killing them?" Kotone gasps loudly, echoing a voice from the past.

"Oh my god, of course like, killing them! What do you think execution even means? Jeez, this class is gonna need more work than the last," Monokuma shouts out in irritation before going back to his ramblings. "Any eye for an eye, or in this case, a life for a life after all. There's another thing to it however, but I don't think it's really necessary in today's case, upupupu!"

"What do you mean it's not necessary?" Kimiko's dauntlessness seems a bit out of character for a person of her stature.

"Well... if you vote for the wrong person... then everyone else but the culprit is to be executed," Monokuma flatly replies. The table is at an uproar over the latest bit of information that is revealed.

"D-dude! Not fair!" Kenta shouts with a frustrated look on his face.

"What the hell kind of rule is that? Even the Black Guard's punishments aren't that biased!" Makoto snaps back at Monokuma. "We have honor amongst our own,"

"Honor amongst thugs is no honor at all," Seijun scoffs at her and turns away just in time to avoid seeing her middle finger going up.

"But it's not like you have to worry about something like that this early, I mean you guys already know who the culprit is after all," The whole room goes silent as all of us look warily at Monokuma, anxious for the answer. "It's a suicide case after all, upupupu!" Monokuma waves his hand lamely as if tired at our lack of insight.

"You mean... Hibiki killed... Hibiki?" Akiko looks genuinely confused at that statement.

"Didn't any of you read the rules? Sheesh, do I have to do everything here myself?!" Monokuma grumbles as he starts to recite something. "**Rule 5: Any actions that result in ending a life be it accidental, unintentional or premeditated qualifies as a murder under Hope's Peak Academy jurisdiction.** Kapeesh? If it's a suicide then basically the person who died also becomes the culprit themselves. It's a formality that I have to get out of the way; otherwise it'll breach my orders,"

"So... that's it? We're just gonna leave the body there and pick her as the culprit?" Tetsu scratches his head uncomfortably.

"Yup, seems so. Again, it's just a formality that I have to leave the body in the position it's found throughout the length of the investigation and trial, or else I'll end up breaking my protocol. You guys should just continue on with your daily lives as if the body doesn't exist at all, considering the obvious suicide evidence of this case," Monokuma grins sheepishly as he acts all coy around us. "After all, the headmaster can't be the one who tampers the crime scene anyways, upupupu..."

Seijun's sharp ears picked up the last part and he promptly adresses the matter. "So, a crime has taken place after all?" Monokuma looks baffled but only for a split second before resuming control of his poker-face. "Wha- I'm talking about future cases, of course!" Before anyone can ask anything else, he quickly makes it look like he has urgent business to attend to. "Oh, gee it's getting pretty late for me now! Alright, I'll just press this little button here that sends the Monokuma file to everyone's ElectroiD and be off now! Bye-bye!" Without further delay, Monokuma dashes away from his seat at the table and exits the cafeteria.

Suddenly, a ringing sound plays on everyone's ElectroiD at once before anyone can even react to the abrupt disturbance of Monokuma's little speech. I fish out my ElectroiD and swipe at the 'new message' notification displayed on the screen.

* * *

**INVESTIGATION START**

_Monokuma File #1 Received_

* * *

A flash of neon orange filled the screen of my ElectroiD, signifying the start of the investigation period- as if there's much need for an investigation anyways. There's a brief explanation that follows, stating that all ElectroiD's will have an orange background rather than the usual dark blue as all _truth bullets _collected will be collected and compiled at the end of the investigation at the _trial terminal_. I look up from my ElectroiD and share the same confused look I have with a few of the others. After a brief moment passes, the screen fades back to the main menu.

There's a 'new' icon in the messages tab so I click on it and remembering what Monokuma had said before about a certain file, sure enough there it was sitting the folder of my previously message box. I paused for a little while, worried about what I may find in it, but quickly tossed aside my inhibitions as it was clear I needed to see this with my own eyes in order to proceed. Checking the file out, I quickly realize it to be some kind of autopsy report about Hibiki's body.

**Monokuma File #1**

**Victim: **_Hibiki Yukata_

"_Time of death is approximately just before 7 am, according to body temperature"_

"_Apparent cause of death is asphyxiation due to the evident hanging"_

"_The victim was found in the pantry at 7:22 am as the Corpse Discovery Announcement was played then"_

As I continued to read the short file over and over again, I couldn't help myself from being reminded of one of those detective shows that I used to watch. The words used in this file seem strikingly similar to what the medical examiners in those shows always use. I guess this is the real deal now, though.

As I swipe through my ElectroiD I notice that a new rule had been added recently. **Rule 7: All items taken from the Storage and Supplies room must be returned even if broken. They are school property and failure to comply shall result in punishment.**

"This is terribly incomplete! No lawyer in their sane mind would ever accept such a case!" Seijun scowls at the information as he stands up in outrage. "That is why I will take up the mantle and solve this as the SHSL Prosecutor!" He announces gleefully as if this was some sort of game before walking off to the pantry.

"True, something's amiss with the information given. It's way too little, almost as if Monokuma was trying to cover something up," Akio smiles dementedly as ha taps his fingers ecstatically on the table.

"At the risk of sounding like a whacky conspiracy theorist, I have to agree. This file... it's too obvious that a simple suicide isn't the case," Ryoka looks up warily at us as if she felt threatened by our presence.

{=_**DISTRUST**_=}

"Do you mean... that one of us...?" Kotone trails off before she can finish her sentence, looking absolutely pale.

"No. No one here committed such a terrible deed. Hibiki took her own life and that's the end of it," Yevan slams her hands on the table and glares to everyone in the room with a piercing fury. A few mouths open to protest but Yevan will have none of it. "I said, Hibiki took her own life. End of discussion! Now everyone just... try to forget this incident ever happen and try your best to keep on searching for any exits," She grits her teeth and for once Makoto actually looks uncomfortable with her decision.

"Hey, the hell do you think you're doing?" She leans in closer so the people close to them are able to hear. I shift in my seat next to Yevan uncomfortably as I exchange glaces with Megumi who seems weirdly calm with the situation. "You're just gonna make everyone suspect you or something. It's not... you, right?" Makoto voices out her concern and Yevan gives a smug smile in return. "I'm not fully convinced it's a suicide myself, but if we let them continue under the pretense that a murder had occurred, they'd get way too unpredictable to keep in line. At least this way, it'll be easier to cooperate with them,"

Makoto steps back looking a little amused. "Damn girl, remind me to set you up as the brains for The Black Guard's operations once we're outta here," She winks at Yevan and I can see... her blush?

_Okay... _

"You're being really defensive about this, man..." Kenta looks up at her darkly and the others follow suit. "Maybe... you're the one...," He leaves his sentence unfinished to accentuate his accusing tone.

"Hey, hey, guys! Let's not fight about this ok? Someone is dead, have some respect for them! The last thing Hibiki would want us to do is fight amongst ourselves!" Akiko stands up and speaks in a clear and rational voice that surprises everyone. "I agree, it has to be a suicide. There's no way I'd believe any of us could do such a terrible thing!"

While we were busy bickering amongst ourselves, a loud commotion coming from the pantry had distracted us momentarily. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" Tsubasa's loud shouts can be heard all the way from here and we turn our heads just in time to see Seijun shoved out the door as he lands on his behind with a thud. With a hand grasping his back, he shouts back at the cooped up Tsubasa. "You are obstructing justice! You hear me? JUSTICE!"

Yevan shakes her head and lets out a long sigh "Someone please deal with that idiot. The more he pesters Tsubasa, the less likely he'll let us near Hibiki's body," she turns her head our way, expecting maybe Akio to at least be the one to take up some responsibility but no one wants to deal with a girl who's gradually looking more and more like a suspect.

An unexpected voice piped up from the other end. "I'll... I'll do it," It was Kimiko who spoke up, with a hand balled up into a fist. "I'll make sure he doesn't bother Tsubasa anymore," She silently walks away from us towards the pantry much to our shocked expressions. No one had expected this valiant side of Kimiko judging from how we've seen her cowering behind other people a few days ago.

"Good, at least someone has enough brains to understand our situation and its severity," Yevan folds her arms and gives a cocky smile to the opposing end of the table. "Now," She begins her authoritative speech once more with her hands still firmly crossed. "I implore that the rest of you try to put this whole situation behind you and proceed back to your everyday lives,"

They begrudgingly stood up one by one and slowly proceeded for the hallway doors when Kenta turns around one more time to face Yevan. "You think because Tsubasa's out of commission you get to boss us around?" He cracks his knuckles in an attempt to intimidate Yevan but it does little to bother her. Out of the corner of my eye I see Makoto tense up and lowers her body slightly, getting ready to jump in if things go awry.

"Save it for the courtroom, Kenta," Seijun spoke as he fixes the collar of his shirt with Kimiko in tow. "That's where all the real battles are played out anyways," He gestures for Kenta to follow him as he passes by us and heads for the doors. Reluctantly, Kenta backs away but not before giving Yevan the typical 'I'm-watching-you' gesture with his fingers.

"Well, I have thank you for being such a good sport," She smiles at Kimiko who politely smiles back at her as the only people present in this room is Megumi, Yevan, Makoto, Akiko, Kimiko and I. "I want to help big sis Hibiki as much as I can," she spoke with a determined and unwavering voice. "We were... I guess I was the last one to see her alive last night," Almost all at once we gasp at the news before us.

{=_**Welcome to Despair Academy**_=}

"Well... you see. I don't think Hibiki committed suicide, I mean she had no reason to! Yesterday after she was crying because of Yuuta, she let me into her room when I would not take no for an answer. She was just really emotional at the time- nothing that could drive her to suicide or anything like that. After I managed to cheer her up, we were gonna go back on our plan of letting Hibiki try out some styles on my hair. Even though I told her it was ok if she didn't want to do it, she insisted that she'd come over to my room at nighttime so we could have a sleepover. When she didn't show up, I thought it was just because she wasn't really in the mood for it," Kimiko forced herself to go through all of the final moments Hibiki had shared with her. "I didn't know that she was feeling this bad... if only I'd go up to check on her," She forced back a sniffle and Akiko goes over to give her a hug.

"What was that part about Yuuta making Hibiki cry?" Megumi tilts her head and I could tell there was some form spite in her words.

_... Is that really the part she's concerned about?_

"Oh, nothing really. It's just something about her past she doesn't really like to talk about," Kimiko replies after she's calmed down and Megumi purses her lips in silence. "Well... what should we do now, team?" Kimiko looks up at us expectantly.

"Team?" Yevan raises an eyebrow at her odd request.

"I told you. I want to help Hibiki as much as I can and I'm going to prove that she didn't try to kill herself and that means... I believe there is a killer out there, and I am not going to let him win!" Kimiko huffs as she clenches her fists.

"Oh... and why do you say 'out there' rather than 'amongst us'? Does that mean you trust that none of us are the one who committed the murder?" Yevan asks calmly.

Kimiko raises her head, looking from one person to another before she stops at my face. Her blue eyes gleam with focus and determination. "... I trust Yuuta. And Yuuta trusts you guys so... I'll trust you guys too,"

"How remarkably naïve and trusting... That is exactly what Monokuma hates," Yevan gives a smirk as she extends her hand out to her. Kimiko reaches for it cautiously as her eyes dart between all of us. "I'll make sure you find your retribution," they both shook hands and exchange smiles and with that, we all delegated the task of finding clues of Hibiki's murder amongst us.

"Something about the Monokuma file strikes me as odd..." Megumi wonders aloud. She turns to look at us for a while before saying "Can one of you help me with something? I want to check out the logs on everyone's room doors so I need help collecting all the other student's ElectroiDs," The moment she finishes her sentence, Akiko's hand shot up into the air. "Oh me, me! I wanna snoop around other people's rooms- I mean look for clues!" she seems to have returned to her normal, quirky self. The two of them then proceed to leave the cafeteria.

Yevan and Makoto are going around the rest of the Dormitory area to keep people in line- by scaring them into submission, probably. Kimiko decides that she wants to try to talk to Tsubasa to see if she can bring him out of his depressed episode. After they all disperse, I'm left all alone in the cafeteria with the job of searching the compound for clues.

_Why do I always get stuck in situations like this..._

{=_**Ikoroshia**_=}

Looking around the cafeteria, I doubt that there are any clues here considering the fact that pretty much everyone was in this room earlier. If there had indeed been a crime involved then no way would the culprit leave such obvious clues lying around in a frequented area. I left the cafeteria and faced the hallways with doors on both sides of the wall. I chose to check the Lounge room first and I see Fujiwara shifting uncomfortably on the sofa as I enter.

"How're you doing there?" I ask and he seems surprised by me entrance. Clearly he was so engrossed in whatever it was with the sofa that fascinated him so. "I'm alright... I guess. I didn't really know Hibiki all too well, I mean, we didn't even hang out much in the past two days. Still... it just feels really weird, knowing someone you see every day is just gone," He shudders as he goes on about how Hibiki's death affects him.

I search the magazine racks, tables and arcade section of the room for any clues but I honestly have no idea what I'm even looking for. In the movies, the detectives always scan for fine objects like hair or thumb prints but I highly doubt it would be efficient if I scoured through every room with a magnifying glass glued to my hands. As I'm searching, the sound of Fujiwara changing his position constantly is really starting to bug me and I just had to ask him about it.

"Eh? Oh it's just, this sofa feels oddly soft and lumpy, like, it has groves and indents in it at various places. Pretty sure it wasn't like this last night... no, I'm absolutely 100% sure that this couch is different than last night. Isn't the facilities in the dorm area supposed to be brand new or something? That's what Monokuma said right? Well, this sofa feels like it's been squashed by a huge elephant or something, it's lost so much of its elasticity that I can literally feel myself sinking several inches into the couch," He rants on and on about the condition of a sofa and I regret my decision for asking.

After he finishes a lecture on spring-manufacturing and its history I bid him goodbye before the last of my consciousness finally drains away. Having checked all there is, I proceed to the room opposite of the lounge labelled 'Storage and Supplies'. I gave a loud and audible gasp as I realize the amount of effort I needed to be able to even search just one aisle of this place.

With an exasperated groan, I trudge my heavy feet into the nearest aisle and that's when I almost died. The slippery floor gave no warning of its presence and my foot just slid across the floor as if it was waxed. Losing my balance, I fell and landed hard on my back. I gasped in pain as the wind is knocked out of my lungs and my vision starts to get blurry. Maybe I hit my head and got a concussion? I didn't really know since I couldn't even feel anything other than pain coursing through my body. I'm forced to lie there on the slippery floor for a bit as I catch my breath. Wheezing and panting, I look around to see if there was anyone else in here who might have saw me but I was safe from unwanted attention as it gets clearer that I'm alone in the storage room. A final head-turn to the shelf on my left is when I see it.

The bottom most section of this shelf is full of waterproof tarps that come in various shades of color, but it's not the color that gets my attention. It's the gaping wide tear on the bottom tarp that I'm curious about. From my position on the floor, I can see through the metallic linings and rings that the shelves are made of so I'm able to find what I might've missed if I was simply just standing or crouching down. Although the question still remains, why would a tarp that's underneath all the other tarps be the one that has a hole in it?

As I lay there trying figure out the answer to the odd tarp, I heard the door to the storage room open accompanied by a little laughter from a male voice. Pushing my head backwards, I see an upside down Akio who is wiping tears away from his eyes. "Are you trying to get a glimpse of the world of gnomes and fairies? You've got the right method I suppose, since they're tiny and all but I doubt they'd be here in Hope's Peak Academy,"

I groan as I tried to pull myself up but Akio offers me a hand and I take it. Maybe he's not that bad of a person after all, I muse to myself in my head before Akio happens to slip and fall when he takes a few steps in front of me. I might not have fast reflexes like Kuno, but I still have enough to be able to catch Akio before he hits the ground. "Why so eager to find mushroom people? I thought you said they wouldn't be here at Hope's Peak?" I laugh back at him as his face goes all red. "Now, we're even,"

Akio rolls his eyes and carefully takes step after slow step until we reach the end of the slippery part of the floor. "Ugh, why would someone clean up the floor in just one spot? And they didn't even leave a 'wet floor' sign at that!" Akio complains as he sniffs the air and now that I think about it, he's right. The sweet fragrant smell of lavender fills the air at the spot where floor was cleaned. "Maybe someone spilled it while they were taking it out?"

Akio rolls his eyes again before correcting me "There's nothing but hair care stuff on that section on that shelf and I doubt shampoo or conditioner would create a lasting greasiness on the floor," He points to the topmost shelf where it's mostly just boxes of hairdryers. Maybe he's right... maybe someone did try to wipe away something from the floor. Akio scans the shelf again and points at something he finds strange.

"Why is that one upside down?" I follow the direction of his finger and then I see it. At the centre of the top shelf, there's one hairdryer box that's unlike the others. It's too high for Akio or me to reach though and without risking our necks trying to tiptoe on an already slippery floor; he deems it too annoying for him to care about and just leaves. I decide to come check it out later when I have the chance... and probably height.

The other rooms in the dormitory area prove to be fruitless as they don't have anything worth noting in them. I see Megumi and Akiko tirelessly going around asking for ElectroiDs and going back and forth between rooms. "Anyway I can help?" I ask as I approach them but they tell me they're almost done anyways. "We need your ElectroiD to check your room out," she asks and in response I take out my ElectroiD and give it to them. She pauses for a moment before asking me again. "We don't have... Hibiki's ElectroiD however. She probably still has it on her so..." Megumi nods her head in the direction of the cafeteria and I understand what she means.

Passing by Yevan and Makoto, who are making rounds and keeping an eye on things, I wave at them and they salute me back. In the cafeteria, I see Kimiko and Tsubasa sitting in one of the corner tables of the room. He hangs his head low as Kimiko nudges the cup of tea that she has presumably made towards him.

I go over there to check on them and Kimiko greets me with a sad smile. "He's calmed down a bit, so you can examine her body if you want. I think... you should though, it definitely says something about her "suicide". Kuno's already inside, just so you know," she emphasizes at the word suicide as if implying something else. I shift my gaze over at Kuno and I realize his fists are clenched so tightly that his knuckles are almost white.

"Hey, you... okay?" I ask meekly. Of course, I knew the answer was a resounding no. The finger-painter just witnessed his sister's death after all. It doesn't take a genius to know that she was probably the only person he cared about here, perhaps even more than himself. "Yeah. I'm fine," He lifts his head and glares at me furiously as he twists his neck, creating an aggressive popping sound.

"Tsubasa... it's ok to let it out," Kimiko puts a hand on his shoulder and he winces. As if by reflex, he brings up his hands and places them under his chin, reminding me of the same habit that Hibiki once had. I didn't even think if it was a sensitive matter at the time and just blurted out the obvious. "Hibiki did that a lot too,"

His eyes narrowed at me but they weren't filled with rage or contempt. Instead his eyes were just melancholic and bitter as his expression softens. "... I guess I must've picked up on that. It's Hibiki's little trademark gesture... Whenever she gets scared, worried or starts to have doubts, she'll always bring her hands up to just below her chin, like she's praying or something," He reminisces for a few moments before shaking it out of his system. "Enough about me, though. You should get going if you want to find out the truth about her death before the investigation period is up,"

That's right, I had completely forgotten about timer on this thing. After excusing myself, I immediately made my way to the main scene of the crime. Inside, I see Kuno inspecting the noose around Hibiki's neck. He notices me and beckons me to come over. As I approach the center of the room for the first time, I shiver as a gush of cold wind suddenly blows from the ceiling. Kuno gives a little laugh and explains. "It's the convection design of this pantry. The outer ring of the square room is kept at a humid and warm temperature while the inner section of the room is kept at a chilly and dry environment, for the more perishable of foodstuffs of course,"

Now that he mentions it, I'm starting to understand the initially awkward locations of the various produce clustered in the centre while the walls are all lined with shelves of cans, chips and other packaged goods. In the far back wall of the room are a row of refrigerators containing mostly liquid beverages ranging from plain bottled water to sodas and juices. Besides the refrigerators, there's a tap jutting out from the wall along with a drain cover nearby on the floor with a trail of water leading our from it.

"Come take a look at this, I'm sure you'll find it interesting," He casually mentions as he prods the skin around her neck. Looking at how easy it is for him to check on Hibiki's body almost fills me with amazement before I steel myself with a chant of "it's just a body, it's just a body" that I repeat over and over. "Don't look so squeamish, dear marksman. You'll soon realize that we have no other choice then to examine the body, or else we'll all die by Monokuma's punishments,"

Hearing those words, my blood froze. "You mean... she was murdered?" I ask as I looked at Kuno in the eyes, trying my best not to look at the... murder victim in front of me. "Yes, she was. There's no doubt that one of us had killed her and if we choose to deny it and opt for the option where she killed herself, then we'd be throwing our lives away when we cast the wrong vote for who really deserves it," His face turns serious as his lips tighten and jaws clench in his explanation. There's no safety on now... if we don't figure this out by the time this investigation is over then we'll be doomed before the trial even starts.

I take in a deep breath and force myself to look Hibiki's body once more. This time, I'm ready to face the limp shell of a human being hanging before me. "Take a look at this. There's some sort of sticky substance surrounding the noose. It's really tough that it's practically glued on the noose to her neck. Now, why do you suppose that is, Yuuta?" He asks me with a knowing smile but I just shrug my shoulders. "It appears, the killer was trying to hide something," He peels away the strong adhesive substance with a great tug and I see the sleeves of his coat fill out as it betrays his slim-looking physique, exposing his true body strength.

Through the mess of rope fiber, blotches of glue and some blood-

"Blood!" I exclaim the obvious.

"Yes, Yuuta. Blood is visible around the area of her neck and it shows up elsewhere too but we'll get to that later. What I'm trying to show you is the source of the blood," With his free hand, he points to the top part of her neck under her jaw. He doesn't even react to the grotesque sight of dried blood, exposed flesh and bone fragments sticking out of a singular thin cut. "Go ahead, touch it," He suggests and I can see that he's waiting for me to respond.

Shakily, I reach out and place just the tips of my fingers on the very edge of her wound. Her skin feels slightly lukewarm, matching the time of death on the Monokuma file. "It's not a very big wound, but I'm betting that it's in quite deep. Plus, a puncture wound in this area of the body would result in massive blood loss from severing the major veins and arteries in the neck,"

The body however, was surprisingly clean and blood free. Kuno notices the look on doubt on my face and proceeds to flip up Hibiki's jacket and shirt much to my surprise. "Dude! Have some respect!" I avert my gaze just in time before he pulls my head back to the body. I didn't manage to close my eyes however and instead of perverting off the body of my dead friend, I see another piece of identical shirt underneath the one Kuno already yanked up. Except, this shirt is completely drenched in faded blood.

"Relax, I would never do such lewd things to anyone, of course. I just wanted to show you this. I think the killer washed her body off to clean up the blood, but why not remove the blood-stained shirt and replace it with a new one if they had access to her room rather than just layering another identical shirt over it? Seems to defeat the purpose of hiding a murder, no?" Kuno muses to himself as I wonder the ability of the killer to gain access to her clothes.

Then, I realized that Hibiki probably still has her ElectroiD somewhere on her and just as Kuno drops the clothes from his hand, I reach out to one of her many jacket pockets and fish out her ElectroiD on the first try. "Ah, good idea. I bet we could find more clues from her room eh?" He smiles at me and proceeds to crouch down. "You know, there's another thing I noticed. It's really small in detail but I take no chances in investigations after all,"

He gestures for me to crouch down beside him and I comply. "There's a tiny little puncture in the leg of her right jeans leg. This one I can't really makes heads or tails out of. Would you mind recounting the events of how you found the body this morning?" He asks me politely and I hesitate at first at the thought of remembering how much I screamed, but for the sake of everyone's lives I'm willing to help out as much as I can.

I tell him about the moment from when I entered the cafeteria to when I found the body still swinging idly by and even all of the things I found on my investigation so far. Kuno ponders for a moment before realizing something and asks me to tell him about the moment before I found the body. "Well... when I opened the door, it swung open when I barely even twisted the handle and-," He cuts me off before I can continue by hurriedly making his way over to the door. I quickly try to follow him as he bends forward and inspects the handle of the door really closely. His nose is just a few inches away from the metal handle.

"... I get it. I get it now," He remarks as he smiles wide and struts away from the room as if he's got this all figured out. I go over to check what his amazing discovery was but it honestly looks no different than any regular door handle save for a few scratch marks on it. With nothing else left for me to check in the room, I take one last lookat Hibiki's body before closing the door behind me. With Hibiki's ElectroiD in hand, I quickly jog over to the hallway outside of the rooms where I find Akiko and Megumi standing in front of Hibiki's door.

"We're down to our last door over here," Megumi gestures to Hibiki's nameplate and Akiko gives a huge sigh of relief "Phew, investigating sure is hard work!" she wipes the brow of her forehead and I proceed to place the ElectroiD over the door. A familiar beep sounds through the room's intercom and Megumi readies her notebook and pencil. As we step inside, we see that the room is pretty much just a regular room with nothing out of the ordinary.

Megumi goes over to the monitor and writes down the final entry in her notebook. After she's done, she gives me back my ElectroiD and shows me the results of their investigation. She explains that she's listed down only the lastest entry of the log of each room.

* * *

**Yuuta: 7:17**

**Kuno: 7:22**

**Kenta: 7:23**

**Akio: 7:22**

**Seijun: 7:22**

**Tsubasa: 7:25**

**Fujiwara: 7:25**

**Tetsu: 7:22**

**Ryoka: 7:23**

**Akiko: 7:23**

**Hibiki: 6:49**

**Yevan: 7:14**

**Makoto: 7:15**

**Kotone: 7:23**

**Kimiko: 7:24**

**Megumi: 7:20**

* * *

Of course, there's no reason to be surprised from this list. Hibiki has the earliest time on her log since that's when the Monokuma file said was the time of her suicide after all... Except... It wasn't a suicide. From the evidence I've seen so far, it's no doubt a murder case but... the fact that this is a murder case makes it even more confusing than before. The list that Megumi and Akiko worked on clearly contradicts the evidence I've already collected.

"Hey guys come check this out! It's Hibiki's really weird suicide note! It's got a man's picture on it and all!" Akiko calls out from where she is standing, right next to Hibiki's desk. Megumi and I exchange glances briefly and quickly make our way over to the table. Even more questions raced through my mind as I begin to wonder if the note was real or not. Whatever worries I had however instantly vanished when I saw the note she was talking about.

"Akiko that's... the anatomy chart that Monokuma gave to all of us... It's not a suicide note," I sigh heavily, part exasperation and part relief as I explain to her that she misunderstood the note on the table. Whether she deliberately mislead us or genuinely thought the detailed chart was actually a suicide note left behind by the late Hibiki is a mystery even for me. Whichever it was however, it certainly got our attention alright.

Before we could explore much else of the room however, there was a familiar bell toll echoing through the air.

***Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong***

"I think that's enough digging around for now, don't you guys think? I mean you guys must be bored out of your mind just waiting for some finger-pointing action to happen, right? Well, wait no more 'cause it's finally time for... THE CLASS TRIAL! Alright then, will the remaining students please gather at the centre of the gym immediately?"

{=_**Despair Syndrome**_=}

The announcement cut off after setting up a rendezvous point for the students and Akiko gasps in surprise. "It can't be over already, can it? I just about to check out the body!" She cries out as she rushes out of the room. Megumi looks at me calmly and gives me a gentle smile. "I'm going to trust you on this case, alright? So I hope you've managed to find enough evidence to figure out who the real culprit is," I was a little taken by surprise at her statement. If anyone, Seijun should be the one leading the trial since he's had the most experience with this kind of stuff.

We made our way out of Hibiki's room just in time as the others' had gathered in front of the elevator. Megumi walks ahead of me to return all the ElectroiD that she's been holding on to back to their respective owners. The atmosphere is quiet and solemn as no one dares to speak a word as we wait in silence for the elevator to arrive. Once inside, the silence only gets worse as we're all cramped together in such an enclosed space.

Once we've reached the gym, Tsubasa immediately jumps out of the compact elevator and hastily makes his way to the centre, avoiding eye contact at all cost. When he looks at the screen that shows our silhouette, he lets out a short gasp and I focus my attention on what has startled him so. On the screen, Hibiki's outline is now a shade of bright neon pink, separating her from the rest of our black outlined figures. The counter at the bottom now shows 15, a number less than before. We shuffle in towards the giant Hope's Peak Academy logo and once everyone's gathered there, the circular logo begins to glow, just like when Monokuma made his first appearance.

"Trialevator starting... now! Keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times!" A disembodied Monokuma voice blares out through the speakers but it's kinda hard to hear him over the sounds of gears grinding and metal clinking sounds that seem to occur beneath us. Without warning, the logo suddenly descends and a chorus of shouts and yelps are let loose as we stumble back and forth, disoriented. "Everybody please relax! This is just another elevator!" Ryoka cries out despite the fact that she's on all fours for support.

As we began to descend further and further into the bowels of Hope's Peak Academy, it was clear to me that whatever hope I had in me before was gone. I was sharing an elevator with a murderer who had killed Hibiki in cold blood and proceeded to disguise it as a suicide in an attempt to throw us of their track. As we sunk deeper and deeper, that wrenching feeling in my guts grew even worse. Thinking back on what Monokuma had told us, it means that right now I'm going to go into a battle against the culprit. It's their life versus all of ours on the line. Of course, back then they might not have realized the severity of their actions as Monokuma only told us about the trial's punishments this morning but... Even so... The gears have already been set in motion and just like this elevator ride... it was only going downhill from here.

* * *

**a/n: Alright! There you have it, the first investigation chapter, phew. I apologize if your character does not appear here as much as you'd hoped as I was trying to focus more on the case itself than interpersonal relationships this time. Perhaps in the future, your characters will get to shine in the spotlight, yeah? Also... do you guys think I should make a poll for you guys to vote who you think the killer is?**


	6. CH 1: The First Trial 1-1

**Update: I've been writing Hibiki's name so many times I swear the name is slowly taking over my mind! Thanks GinMerric for pointing out yet another case of mistaken identity. Not sure why my brain likes to replace Kimiko's name with Hibiki's so many times.**

**a/n: Remember back in the first chapter, back where I still had the application form attached? Yeah, bless my soul as I try to recreate all the frickin' debates in this chapter, wow. Oh, and just a little heads up here. Since ff . net doesn't let me save the sporadic patterns for the Rebuttal Showdown sequence, I'll just list them all out in the 'Align Center' format. You know, I think I spent a long time just trying to figure out the right layout for the sequences. Also, I realized that I was starting to lag behind on the group interactions in the past few chapters, so here you guys will have all the overcompensation cramped up in a single chapter. Yikes!**

* * *

_"Approaching trial grounds! Please keep all hands and feet away from the wall! If you slip and fall you will be punished!"_

Upon hearing the brief message that seemed to echo down the cylindrical elevator shaft, everyone huddled away from the elevator's perimeter to avoid toppling over as we started slowing down. We were flashed by a ring of bright light that breached in from the edges of the circular floor and blinding brightness caused us to shield our eyes momentarily.

"Oh... my god..." was the only thing that I could say as I take in the outlandish display of ironic interior design of this supposed 'trial ground'.

As we descended, our disorientation slowly started to disappear as we gained our bearings of the area. From my position, I could a huge rectangular room with walls painted a light pink. The dim lighting surrounding area quickly reminds me of those seedy back-alley 'hotels' that I saw in the movies before. The section of the wall before me seems to be the north wall of the room as it looks eerily similar to the design of the gym's stage- minus the stage, of course. A giant flat-screen monitor is hooked in the centre of the wall but it doesn't look to be switched on. Directly below the screen however, was a familiar-looking plush toy that was seated on some sort of weird throne that looked akin to an umpire chair, possibly compensating for what Monokuma lacked in height.

Both of the walls beside me are draped with lavish purple curtains that seemed to be thick and heavy. They looked quite corny with its typical velvety appearance, accentuating the sleazy atmosphere of the humongous room. Smack dab in the middle of the curtains are giant barbershop swirls- the kind with blue, red and white stripes circling around endlessly- that was crudely conceived from the twisted mind of Monokuma. It stood there grandly in stark contrast of the current light of events as an effigy and a statement of our current reality. In Hope's Peak Academy, only Monokuma's word is absolute.

"You have gotta be kiddin' me!" Kenta's eyes wonder around the room with a hand in his hair as he gradually feels flustered by the ridiculousness of the design.

"Superfluous and obscene. That aptly describes you and your tastes Monokuma," Ryoka eyes him down with disdain but Monokuma simply chuckles in his seat. "Coming from someone who matches the tiles, I take that as a compliment, upupu!" While he bursts out into laughter, Ryoka quickly gazes downwards and spots the black and white checkered flooring.

"Um, guys... I think there's a bunch of names here- oh! I see mine over there," Akio nudges his way pass the mob of 16 students without breaking eye-contact with something near the elevator floor. Forgetting that we had already reached our destination, I gave a little gasp as I realized that the elevator has stopped moving.

"Wait!" Yevan reaches her left hand out and blocks Akio before he can reach his destination; a small, circular platform that juts out slightly above the floor and almost connects with the elevator's curved edge. It glows with a faint white light that seems to be sourced underneath a semi-transparent plastic cover. In bold and black lettering, Akio's name is printed on the surface and looking around the floor I see similar platforms circling the edge of the elevator with all of our names printed on it.

"What is your problem? You bossy control-freak," Akio mutters as he gives Yevan the side-eye. Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise from Akio's sudden attack on her. "I honestly thought you would have been more wary of the situation since you were siding with the people who claim that I am too reckless for my own good," She spoke not in a defensive tone, but one of taunting. "I'm not being reckless, it's quite clear what we're supposed to do from here and I'm just trying to get this boring thing over with,"

Tsubasa glares even though he's a few persons away from Akio but it doesn't stop him from protesting Akio's underwhelming focus on the trial at hand. "And you couldn't even stomach a dead body- no, don't deny it. We all saw you break out in a cold sweat as you ran away from the cafeteria. Looks to me like you're just talk," He smirks and crosses his arm as he assumes he's safe from retaliation.

The smirk instantly vanishes as Yevan grabs Akio by the collar of his shirt and effortlessly lifts him up a few inches from the ground. "W-whoa! Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?! H-hey! Monokuma this is against the rules right?!" He stammers as he tries to claw his way to freedom but to no avail as Yevan firmly grasps her helpless victim.

"Punch his guts in! That little prick needs an ego check," Makoto whistles as she sits back with her hands on her hips, impressed by Yevan's strength. Akio glances rapidly between his oppressor and Monokuma for a few moments in futile struggling before Monokuma responds. "No, it's not against the rules. Still... fighting against students like this shouldn't be allowed to happen in school grounds," He scratches his chin for a bit before snapping his paws together, making a muffled squeaking sound instead of a loud snap. "But technically, we're not ON school grounds. Rather, we're on school UNDERgrounds. Nyahahaha! Besides, this is fun to watch so... carry on!"

Akio squirms and whimpers as Yevan looks dead into his eyes in cold fury. "Hey! Hey! Guys! Please, can't we all just get along?" Akiko's voice is strained as she fights back exasperation and tiredness. Her pleas go unheard and she a hand to her temple as she grows weary of the constant distrust. Kuno steps forward, as if to take the reins and Akiko puts her hand down in surprise.

"I hate to be in the middle of things, but I can't believe how barbaric all of you are acting at the moment. Have you forgotten about the reason we're called down here in the first place? We owe it to our dead friend to, at the very least, cooperate for the time being. No one is going to be undermining anybody's authority from now on. If we are down here then we need to cast aside all our differences and work as one because I'm not sure if you all just forgot or something, but our lives are on the line here,"

Everyone stared at Kuno in stunned silence as that was probably the longest he's ever spoken. The stern look on his tense face makes it clear that he's not in the mood for anyone's nonsense. As his eyes trail around the circle of students, Yevan's eyes ends in his line of vision and after a few moments, she gives a slight nod. Slowly, she lowers her hand until Akio's shaking feet tap the surface of the elevator floor. Once he's securely on the floor, he yanks himself away from Yevan's hand, leaving his neatly-ironed shirt all ruffled and crinkly.

"Awww, you're no fun! Why couldn't you have been the first victim? Ugh, voice of reason characters are so annoying!" Monokuma huffs as he pulls out a gavel from... underneath him... and pounds it on the right side of the throne's armrest. He clears his mechanical throat and proceeds to bark orders at us. "Order in the court people! The walking Ouija board has got the right idea; you've seen your names so get to it!" He proceeds to throw away the gavel behind him and leans back with boredom, resting his cheek on his other arm.

Akio sweats a little due to almost having an encounter with Yevan's fist and quickly hops onto his platform and folds his arm while glancing over to Yevan. She gives a smirk and does a "watching you" gesture at him before walking off to find her own circle. The rest of us trudge around half-heartedly, clearly not wanting to go through with this supposed trial, until Monokuma yells at us that is. Having looked thoroughly on the north part of the circle and not finding my name anywhere, I turn my head in the opposite direction and find mine directly at the 6 o'clock direction.

That isn't the only thing I notice however as I spot a sturdy-looking metal door all the way at the back of the trial room. It had scratches, dents and significant wear and tear visible on its surface and along the dull metallic frame. Painted on it crudely in rusty-red paint- or at least, I hope its paint- was the word "Punishment".

_I guess it's safe to assume that that's where the culprit is going... if we can find one, that is._

"Enough stalling, you gun-toting cowboy! It's time to step up and solve some mysteries and stuff. Don't disappoint me again!" Monokuma squawks from his seat as I realize that in the midst of taking in my surroundings, I had let myself fall behind at the appointed task. The rest of them have already found their own platforms and I get a couple of disapproving looks particularly from the more rule-abiding individuals. I take a step onto the most south-side of the circle warily as I steeled myself for what's to come. The moment I take my spot on and complete the circle, the fight for our lives will begin and the only way to win is to back the culprit into a corner.

I turn around and facing directly across me is Megumi as she stands in the 12 o'clock position. She smiles nervously when she notices that I've been staring at her then looks back down to the floor, fidgeting with her thumbs. One good look around the ring and I mentally note the position of each student. Starting from my spot in a clockwise rotation, on my left I see Kotone, Tsubasa, an empty spot with Hibiki's name on it, Seijun, Akiko, Makoto, Megumi, Kenta, Kimiko, Yevan, Akio, Fujiwara, Kuno, Tetsu, and finally Ryoka to my right.

I guess it's a good thing Monokuma chose to supplement his throne with an umpire chair as he would've been completely obscured behind Megumi's bushy hair. As I play with that thought in my head, Monokuma chirps up in a jolly tone. "Upupu! Finally! Well then, without further adieu, let's begin!"

{=**_Trial Underground_**=}

Monokuma hits a switch on the left armrest of his throne and all of a sudden the outer section of the individual platforms that we stood on suddenly opens. A wooden protrusion slowly rises up in a semi-circle around mind and judging by the gasps of the other students, the same thing is happening to them too. As it slowly comes into view, I begin to realize that the wooden structure is actually a railing of some sort that looks akin to the ones they have in courtrooms. The railing clinches into position with a telltale clink and I noticed that in the centre there is a black tablet-looking thing with an indentation at the bottom about the size of a playing card.

"Alright you little rascals, place your ElectroiDs in the little rectangular hole there and the rest should play out by itself," Monokuma absently tells us as he's pretending to fall asleep.

Not wanting to hold the rest of the trial like I did before, I immediately reach into my pocket and scoop up my ElectroiD in my hand. The idle menu screen displays my name as I place it upon the indentation where it slides in perfectly. Almost instantly, the larger of the two tablets start to glow with a faint light as it syncs data with my ElectroiD. Once the syncing logo has disappeared, it shows me a menu screen with the all too familiar circular logo of Hope's Peak Academy in the middle only this one has an outline of 16 half-rings that spread outwards, reminding me of a revolver's chamber.

_I wonder if my SHSL talent can help me with this 16-round gun..._

Pushing all light-hearted thoughts aside, I take a good look at the menu screen again. It looks just like a regular desktop screen with nothing on it except for a few tabs on the top-left corner. 'Set Skills', 'Review Truth Bullets' 'Change Difficulty', and 'Finish Preparations' are listed in grey buttons and on the top I notice a scrollbar playing a parade of words:

_Well I'll be damned! Who would've thought that the first one to go was poor ol' Hibiki, who was a sweet and kind angel. I bet you're all wishing it was Tsubasa who was killed am I right? I mean I know I'd rather trade a grumpy Picasso with a superiority complex over an innocent young maiden who can give me free haircuts whenever I ask. Oh well, C'est La Vie is the best motto in life after all. We're all just pawns in the ultimate scheme of things so we might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride. Of course, the next stop in our joyride is a class trial..._

I look over at Tsubasa but he doesn't react at all. In fact he doesn't even seem to care about the message as I notice he's busy scrolling through a list of random things. I'm too far to see what exactly he's reading but before I can go back to my own screen, Akiko's voice cuts through the silent courtroom. "Hey! Monokuma! I think your little computer's broken. I've been pressing the 'Change Difficulty' button again and again but it doesn't do anything!"

I press the button on my screen and true to her words; no response is given by the tablet. I hear Kotone and Ryoka both grumble to my sides and the beeping of multiple touch-screen sensors fill the air as more and more of us try to select the broken tab. "Oh my god, it's not broken! It's not even supposed to work in the first place! It's just a formality I have to put in to respect some guidelines or something. I didn't really check the manual on these things so just go ahead and forget about them. Did you seriously think you could just change the settings of this trial just like that? This is real life, not some virtual reality or something!"

"Don't put unnecessary contraptions to an already functional system!" Seijun hisses right back at Monokuma, clearly unable to suppress his contempt.

"Um... What are truth bullets?" Kotone clicks on said tab as she asks Monokuma.

"It's gotta be evidence, right!" Tetsu pounds his fist with a smirk before Monokuma could even answer.

"Brawn-for-brains is right, toots. Every hint, clue and evidence found during the Investigation Period is automatically recorded in each of your ElectroiDs and will collectively be added to the list once you hook yours up to the trial terminal. This way, you guys can't argue that some of the other kids have an unfair advantage and everyone should have equal footing at the start of the trial,"

"Ah, most excellent! I applaud you for thinking of equality amongst diversity!" Seijun praises Monokuma gleefully much to out discomfort.

"H-hey! What're you praising him for? He's the one who put us in this mess in the first place!" Kenta stammers as he tries to maintain composure.

"Credit where credit is due. I cannot be dishonest," He simply shrugs and goes back to looking at his screen.

With no further questions being brought up, everyone tries to catch up with Tsubasa who already had a head start into analyzing the contents of the truth bullets and I promptly did the same.

* * *

**[TRUTH BULLETS]**

**1\. **Monokuma File #1: An autopsy report with the cause and time of death.

**2.** Fujiwara's Account: The sofa has degraded and sagged overnight.

**3\. **Upside-down box: The hairdryer's image on the box is printed in an awkward angle.

**4.** Room logs: A list of the latest entries in everybody's rooms. It should be noted that there is only one entry in each room during today's investigation if you don't count the entry during checkings.

**5.** Kimiko's Account: Hibiki didn't show up for their meeting. She assumed Hibiki wasn't in the mood.

**6.** Two shirts: An identical shirt is placed on top of a bloodied shirt that the victim was wearing.

**7.** Body temperature: It was lukewarm, indicating the victim had just only recently passed away.

**8.** Anatomy chart: Hibiki's "suicide note" laid plainly on her desk.

**9.** Slippery floor: Indicates that the floor has been cleaned and wiped with floor detergent.

**10.** Puncture in jeans: A microscopic hole was found on one of the victim's pant leg.

**11.** Tsubasa's Account: The Yukata twins share the same body language habit when distressed.

**12.** Tarp with tears: A hidden, water-proof tarp that has a long vertical tear. The tear is clean and indicates contact of a sharp object.

**13.** Design of pantry: The room is divided into 2 areas of convection. The outer ring is warm for preserved foodstuffs while the inner ring is cold and dry for fresh produce.

**14.** Marks on the door handle: The inner metallic handle of the pantry door has straight scratches.

**15.** Neck wound: A small but deep incision was discovered above the victim's trachea.

**16.** Sticky substance: Covering the noose was a strong adhesive-like substance.

**17.** Trail of water: Found in the pantry leading from the base of the tap to the drain cover.

**18\. **Monokuma's rules: A new rule has been added to the existing rules in the previous night.

* * *

"What is this? Are you saying all this nonsense is evidence that we picked up along the way?" Akio scoffs as he lazily flicks his finger on his screen.

"Nope, I can't make heads or tails from this... sorry," Fujiwara shrugs his shoulders as he looks up with an apologetic smile.

With a thoughtful look on her face, Megumi twirls the ends of her hair with her left hand. "Have you guys heard of the 'String Theory'? It's basically a hypothetical singular infrastructure that explains how every seemingly unrelated event are actually connected by even the smallest of margins,"

Ryoka perks up in contrast of the general confused reactions by the rest of the student body. "Are you perhaps talking about the 'Ultimate Theory'? The description you gave us is more pliable to what I just mentioned. String Theory is actually a sub-theory and follows different grounds of application,"

"Ah! I'm sorry, I mixed up my theories!" Megumi goes red in embarrassment and bows deeply to Ryoka.

"If you can focus those nerdy brains of yours to the case, I'd much appreciate it," Tsubasa finally speaks up, albeit through gritted teeth, as he crosses his arm and wears a sullen expression.

"Yeah, for Hibiki's sake!" Kimiko nods her head in agreement and we all shift our attention to the matter at hand.

"Oh but before we start, I'd like to ask about the other button on this screen. The... 'set skills' button, right here," Kotone looks at Monokuma quizzically.

"Aw man, I thought we just psyched ourselves up for the trial!" Kenta groans.

"Yes, but I want to make sure we check everything off our list. It wouldn't hurt to have more knowledge of our task beforehand, no?" She gives a curt smile but her tone is dismissive, almost trying to ignore him.

"Well... she's got a point there. I mean we all know who the culprit is anyways," Tetsu tugs at his bandana for a bit before tightening it in place.

"Eh? Have you guys already cracked the case wide open?!" Fujiwara looks shocked as he gasps in disbelief.

"Uh... yeah, dude. Isn't it obvious enough?" Tetsu folds his arms triumphantly. "Never mind that. I'll show you guys just how it's done once the trial starts!"

Tetsu's statement garners a few looks of doubt from the group, particularly the ones like myself who knows that Hibiki's case is no simple suicide. As much as it pains me to say it, Hibiki was brutally and viciously murdered. But the question is... was she really killed by someone here? Or could it be someone working under Monokuma's shadow?

"Upupupu, that's a function that'll prove useful for the next trial, maybe. As you bond with your classmates here and get to know each other's dark and dirty secrets, the corresponding ElectroiDs might just get a little boost in power and acquire special skills that will help in the various stages of the trials. Of course, since the time it took for the first murder to happen was awfully short, I bet none of you have actually acquired any skills at the moment, am I right? Yikes... that's a little unfair, don't you think? Maybe I brought the motive out too soon... Oopsie daisy!"

Monokuma gives a hearty laugh before stopping abruptly. "Or maybe the cast was just way too bloated to begin with. Oh well, c'est la vie am I right? There's no way I could have influenced what actions certain people will take and how others might respond. It's not like I have an algorithm or statistical data of your behaviors to calculate that anyways..."

"Well then, if everyone's done being nosy and all, I want everybody to hit the 'Finish Preparations' button so we can get this show on the road! Nyahahaha!" Monokuma says as he waves his gavel around impatiently.

"So... this is it huh?" Kenta taps the button with shaky fingers.

"Yeah. This is where I get to make things right," Tsubasa forcefully taps on the screen with a solemn expression on his face.

"I still don't buy this whole trial crap, but whatever. It's not like we're gonna get anywhere if we just stand around doing nothing," Makoto absent-mindedly complies.

As the counter beside the 'Finish Preparations' keep increasing, so too did Monokuma's laughter as he seems giddy with excitement.

_14/16 Ready..._

As the mechanical beeping cease, I look up from my terminal and catch a glimpse of the current situation. Everyone else has locked in their decision except for a pair of eyes who meet mine in the vertical distance. She gives me a small nod before keying in her validation and I hear a small beep.

_15/16 Ready..._

With a small sigh, I raise my finger and hover it over the flashing button. The battle for our lives is about to play out and I instinctively eye the rest of the group. One of us here is content with escaping with not just the murder of our dear friend Hibiki, but also willing to sacrifice the rest of us. Right now, they're hiding behind a mask of ignorance, pretending to be just like the rest. But knowing what I know now, I can't let that happen. I can't let the truth slip away into the dark.

_16/16 Ready!_

A beeping light plays on Monokuma's control panel and he clicks on something. Instantly, the blank screen behind him lights up with a bright white flash that cuts through the dimly lit courtroom before fading into a background of crimson.

* * *

**CLASS TRIAL! ALL RISE!**

_-Class Trial Start-_

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"Now then, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial. During the class trial, you will present your arguments for who the killer is, and vote for 'whodunit'. If you vote correctly, then only the **blackened** will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong person... then I'll punish everyone _besides_ the **blackened**, and that person will earn the right to graduate from the halls of Hope's Peak Academy!" Monokuma gleefully announces from the edge of his seat.

"That's a terribly strict rule. Why punish the rest of us when you could just let the killer graduate?" Yevan bluntly points out much to the Tsubasa's chagrin.

"Oh, no way... I am not letting the killer walk out of here scot free," He sneers at the mention of the word killer.

"Are you out of your mind, young lady? Would you just leave a murderer out of a courtroom unpunished?" Kotone chastises Yevan and that seemed to earn her wrath as Yevan clenches her fists.

"I'm just asking a hypothetical question... and don't call me a 'young lady'," She replies with spite.

She glares at Kotone for a bit before returning her gaze at Monokuma. "Hmmm... you've got a point but so does Snow White over there," Monokuma muses in his seat for a while. "But I don't make the rules around here, bub. This is the law in Hope's Peak and I got no choice but to enforce them. Besides, how will I know you guys are serious about going through the trial without a little incentive, eh? Your precious human lives sound like quite the bargaining chip to me,"

"That won't matter in this trial anyways, I mean I've got the culprit's identity all figured out, so why not just cast our votes already?" Tetsu boisterously announces with a 'thumbs up' gesture as he's greeted with a collective gasp by the other students.

"Are you serious, dude?" Kenta stammers with eyes wide open.

"Yeah... the culprit's identity is..." He pauses for dramatic effect much to our annoyance. "... none other than **Hibiki Yukata**!" He points out to the empty spot next to Tsubasa where Hibiki's name is written on the ground.

"Oh that's right, silly me!" Monokuma flips a switch at the sudden development and the platform opens up to reveal a picture frame on a wooden stand slowly rising up from wherever it was stored underneath. Once level with the rest of us, I get a good look at the picture and realize it's a black and white portrait of the owner of the platform, complete with black ribbons that drape the top corner of the frame. "I almost forgot the most important feature of the trial! Upupupu!"

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Tsubasa tentatively examines the picture of his deceased sister before slamming the railing and shouting at Monokuma.

"Whoa there! Careful with the terminal now, that's school property! You know what happens if you break school property, right?" Monokuma jumps up in surprise before relaxing and displaying his claws to emphasize his threat. "Now, just because someone is dead doesn't mean they can't participate in the trial. I'm all about fairness and impartiality after all, upupupu! Besides how else would you proceed with the accusatory stage of the trial if you don't have anyone to accuse, right? All for the sake of an entertaining trial!"

"Right! So let's get on with it! Time to cast our votes, guys!" Tetsu enthusiastically calls out as he tries to figure out how to work his terminal screen.

"I can't believe you're that stupid," Tsubasa scoffs and Yevan actually chuckles along.

"I have to admit, I'm known as the reckless one here but you just made yourself the butt of that joke now," She smirks and is greeted with an eye roll.

"Wha-? What are you guys talking about? Isn't it obvious that Hibiki took her own life?" He scratches the side of his face. Half of the class seemed confused about this while the ones who were following the investigations closely had no change in expression.

"I'm sure if we discuss this for a bit, the truth will soon come to light," Kuno announces with a confident aura as he initiates the first debate of our trial.

Monokuma giggles uncontrollably from his throne and gives us a tutorial about the upcoming stage of the trial.

_"In order to keep the discussion going, you might encounter contradicting pieces of information and testimonies. When this happens, the trial terminal will automatically shift into what we call a **Nonstop Debate**. During this discussion, everything anyone says will be picked up by the microphone in your terminal and displayed on your screens as the main statement. It's up to you to reveal any lies or mistakes contained in the statements. This is where your **Truth Bullets** come into play. You'll be given a select few bullets as your ammunition to 'shoot down' any weak points you may find. Choose the right bullet for the corresponding weak point and tap on them to break through the debate and progress with the trial. Well, good luck and have fun!"_

_Based on what I've learnt so far, there are clearly signs of a murder... not to mention a sign of a cover-up._

_Now... how do I prove it to the rest?_

{=**_Discussion -BREAK-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Monokuma File #1|]**

**(|Tsubasa's Account|]**

**(|Neck Wound|]**

**=_START_=**

_"So um, we just talk like normal?" –**Tetsu**_

_"Whoa! Did you guys see that?" –**Tetsu**_

_"Everything I said is floating on the screen!" –**Tetsu**_

_"... I think you're missing the point here..." **–Ryoka**_

_"Oh yeah, right... sorry...," –**Tetsu**_

_"We were discussing the culprit's identity, right?" **–Megumi**_

_"Just hurry this up, will you?" –**Tsubasa**_

_"Yes, please elaborate what you're so confident about," –**Seijun**_

_"Yeah, yeah, I'm just getting to it, jeez..." –**Tetsu**_

_"The culprit and victim's identity is none other than **HIBIKI YUKATA**!" –**Tetsu**_

_"Ugh, you're just jumping to conclusions here," –**Kimiko**_

_"Nuh-uh! It's totally obvious that **SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE**," –**Tetsu**_

**=COUNTER=**

_"No, that's wrong!" _**–Yuuta** (Fired: **(|Neck Wound|]**)

Immediately I jammed my finger onto the screen to counter the second weak point and just as I did, the Truth Bullet that I chose suddenly went flying from a corner of the screen heading straight towards the underlined statement. I held my breath as it zeroed in on the target, a little bit worried that I got carried away and picked the wrong choice. However, a sigh of relief soon escaped my lips when I saw that my bullet had struck the statement and a crashing sound effect played out as the weak point fell apart.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)_**=}

"You didn't check the condition of the body during the investigation, right Tetsu?" I look at him with a raised eyebrow. It was kind of out of character for me to act all smug but I just couldn't help feeling proud of myself for making a breakthrough.

"... No, not really... why? Is there something else you guys found?" Tetsu scratched the back of his head as he tries to look away in embarrassment.

"Figures... of course a brute like you wouldn't even have bothered conducting at least a simple autopsy check," Tsubasa rolls his eyes in an effort to show contempt to the hulking male.

"Now, now, let's not make any rash decisions. Yuuta, you have some evidence to support your claim, I presume?" Kotone scolds the two immature boys before turning to look at me expectantly.

"Right, it says so right here in the description of the Truth Bullet itself, Tetsu. When Kuno and I were checking the body for more clues, we found a tiny stab wound under her chin and upon closer inspection Kuno mentioned that the wound was in pretty deep. He also mentioned that an open wound in that area of the human body would cause severe blood loss and I think it's safe to say that that should be the real cause of death,"

"W-whaaaa? Then... that means...," Tetsu's eyes go wide in horror as he begins to realize the harsh truth.

"Yes. She was murdered," Despite not being there to witness the wound personally, Ryoka quickly accepts the fact that we are currently sharing a room with a murderer. "I highly doubt that her neck wound is self-inflicted. Common areas of self-mutilation usually occur at the forearms or inner thighs, after all,"

"Hey, you take that back! My sister did not cut herself!" Tsubasa leans forward on the railing and yells at Ryoka, who seems unfazed.

"Calm down, I didn't mean it as an insult. I was just trying to explain the reasoning of my belief," She cooly brushes off the potential conflict and resumes questioning the court. "This was the easy part that has little to no challenge at all, I'm afraid; the opening move of pawns between two opposing players. The killer had killed Hibiki by stabbing her with a sharp object under her jaw and disguised it to look like she had committed suicide,"

After a long pause, Ryoka looks worried as if she's deep in thought. "What's the matter?" Fujiwara asks her gently but she doesn't respond. "... Sorry, I just stop responding if I'm thinking too hard," came the reply just as things were beginning to feel awkward.

"Oh, that's a neat little trait," Fujiwara smiles awkwardly while Ryoka twitches her mouth sideways in confusion. "So what's our next step?" His gaze is focused on her and she raises her eyebrow in protest.

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"Well... first we should bring into account the contents of the Monokuma file, don't you all agree?" She asks the members of the court.

"Eh? You're talking about why the information given contradicts the real evidence, right?" Akiko was the first to answer. "Well, how about it Monokuma? Why'd you lie to us?" She quickly turns around to face him and throws the question out to him.

"Dude, I seriously doubt that he's going to answer," Kenta shakes his head.

"Upupupu... what are you even talking about? I could never lie to my own students, I mean, didn't I just tell you guys that I'm all about fairness and impartiality?" Monokuma coos in a dignified tone, although I sense a little sarcasm in his voice.

"He's right, you know," Seijun praises Monokuma once more.

"Check what the Monokuma file says again, you little brats. It clearly states that the_ apparent_ cause of death is hanging. You guys know what apparent means? It's when you take things at face value, duh! So I didn't lie to you guys, nosiree! I definitely did not try to steer the investigation into a screeching halt by manipulating evidence, nope! I'm not allowed to do that after all, all I did was just score me some loopholes here and there, I'm sure the SHSL prosecutor understands where I'm coming from," He chides Seijun and winks at him slyly, causing him to go red.

"W-what? No, I don't know where you're coming from. As a prosecutor, it is my duty to put criminals in jail where they belong in the name of justice!," He quickly folds his arms defensively as he huffs.

"Hmmmm...," Ryoka wonders aloud.

"What's the matter, you got something from those two's lover's quarrel there?" Makoto jokingly asks Ryoka and a faint "Hmph," could be heard from the prosecutor.

"I was thinking... what else did Monokuma change in the Monokuma File?" Everyone turned their heads to Ryoka's direction as they realized that they could possibly have zero grasp on this case.

"You mean, Monokuma lied to us about the whole thing?!" Akiko cries out in a panic.

"There's a shocker," Akio sarcastically scoffs.

"What if... the location of the crime scene was altered?" Ryoka points out as she rests her thumb on her lips.

"A-are you serious? Don't you think that's going a little bit overboard?" Kenta furrows his eyebrows together, already exhausted.

"Leave no stone unturned, right? I'm sure Kotone understands this all too well," She smiles over to Kotone who seems a little surprised but pleased nonetheless. Ryoka clears her throat and the giant screen behind Monokuma plays the same thing that all out terminals are playing live at the same time.

{=**_Discussion -BREAK-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Neck Wound|]**

**(|Tarp with Tears|]**

**(|Fujiwara's Account|]**

**(|Slippery Floor|]**

**(|Trail of Water|]**

**=_START_=**

_"Here's what I'm suggesting," **–Ryoka**_

_"Based on what Kuno and Yuuta had discovered," **–Ryoka**_

_"The scene of the crime must have happened **SOMEWHERE ELSE**," **–Ryoka**_

_"Are you really sure about that?" **–Kenta**_

_"I'm pretty sure the killer lured Hibiki into the pantry," **–Akiko**_

_"And did the evil deed right at the spot **WHERE WE FOUND HER**," **–Akiko**_

_"Sounds pretty time-efficient to me," **–Akiko**_

_"Stop thinking like a serial killer, it's unhealthy!" **–Kotone**_

_"Judging by our killer's profile," **–Kuno**_

_"If he had killed her in the pantry," **–Kuno**_

_"Then he would probably had moved the body elsewhere, I reckon,"** –Kuno**_

_"Whoa... is that like reverse psychology or something, man?" **–Tetsu**_

_"That's not even close to reverse psychology you brainless wall of muscle," **–Akio**_

_"This is getting us nowhere, dammit!" **–Tsubasa**_

_"B-besides, there's **NO EVIDENCE** that the crime could've occurred somewhere else!" –**Kenta**_

**=COUNTER=**

_"No, tha-" _**–Yuuta**

_"You fools are starting to bore me!" _**–Akio **(Fired: **(|Slippery Floor|]**)

Before I could even lift my finger this time, Akio's voice cuts through the air as he sends the Truth Bullet of his choice and I am forced to stand idly by and watch as it breaks through the weak point shown on-screen. "You snooze, you lose," He winks at me and I recall that he was there too in the place where I found the clue.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)_**=}

"No, there IS evidence that points to a cover-up of the crime- just like the American government's cover-up about area 51, huhuhuhu!" Akio draws our attention and immediately strays off topic with his obsessions, leaving us considerably annoyed.

"Nobody cares about your conspiracy theories, just spit out what you know already!" Tsubasa chews him out in public and he lets out a very unmanly whine.

"I order you to tell us about the Truth Bullet you fired this instant!" Yevan scowls as she points at him accusingly.

"Sheesh, alright, alright. But mark my words, one day you'll regret living with such a narrow outlook on the mysteries of life itself," he grumbles as he straightens his sleeves out. "All of you should already know by the description of the Truth Bullet that the floors of a certain area has been wiped clean and I'm pretty sure the more keen minded of you will have reached the conclusion that that's the main location where the murder took place,"

"Oooooh... I see now!" Akiko perks up with gleeful intrigue.

"Yeah, so that means the killer wiped the area clean of blood to cover their tracks!" Tetsu nods his head to no one at particular as he muses with himself. "Oh but... where exactly is that area, huh?"

With a heavy sigh, Akio continues his explanation in a defeated tone. "Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was just about to mention the exact location of the scene of the murder. The killer had killed Hibiki in a place that is obviously not the pantry and tried to erase any trace of their presence afterwards. The place that I'm talking about... is the 'Storage &amp; Supplies' room. That's where I found Yuuta on the floor, isn't that right?"

All eyes now fall on me and I couldn't help but gulp under the pressure. Like I said, I was never good at handling myself when placed under the spotlight. "Y-yeah. That's what I wanted to point out too," I smiled at Akio meekly but he just shrugs it off.

"Wait, what were you guys doing on the floor alone, together in the storage room?" Akiko's eyes sparkle as she leans over her railing, imagination running wild.

"Oh good heavens, I just happened to hear a crash on my way to the cafeteria and decided to check it out. It seems that Yuuta here had tripped on our very own Truth Bullet and that's all there is to it," Akio pouts at Akiko's statement and turns his head away quickly.

"Hmmm... but how could the killer manage to transport the body without leaving blood drops everywhere? The cafeteria was spotless... unless the killer also wiped the floors from the storage room to the pantry?!" Fujiwara lets his surprise known as he almost yelps at the last part.

"Um... no, I don't think so. The killer probably wouldn't have enough time on their hands if they attempted that," Megumi tilts her head as she ponders aloud.

_A way to carry the body from the storage room to the pantry without leaving a trail of blood..._

_I know I've seen something that could be used to their advantage..._

I tried to tap on the Truth Bullet that said **Tarp with Tears** and an option to present it popped up beside it. Thinking that was the best way to get my message across, I tapped on it and everyone's screen showed that piece of evidence on their menu screen. Since the giant screen behind Monokuma is also playing the visual feed of our terminal screens live, the same Truth Bullet also presented itself in the middle of the large menu screen.

"These tarps I found when I fell are waterproof so that means that they'd be able to retain blood, right? What if this is what the killer used to carry Hibiki's body?" I tried to justify my choice of evidence in front of curious-looking participants.

"So... are you saying that the killer murdered Hibiki in the storage room, cleaned the floor of any blood, and dragged her body all the way to the pantry without causing some sort of trail?" Yevan sharply asks me with a stern gaze.

"Um... yes. That is what I said," I try to reply calmly but I think the others can hear the nervousness in my voice.

{=**_Class Trial (Odd Edition)_**=}

* * *

**=ARGUMENT!=**

_"You wanna get wrecked, punk?" **–Makoto**_

* * *

"Are you blind or something? That's a pretty big drawback for someone who's supposed to have good aim, don't you think?" She smirks as she condescendingly belittles my talent.

"Wh- what's up with you Makoto? Why are you aggressive all of a sudden?" I answer back.

"Tch, you really are blind aren't ya? The **Tarp with Tears** obviously means its got holes in it. Blood would obviously be leaking out of it, duh!" her voice now borders to shouting.

_"Upupupu! Bet you weren't expecting that, did ya? Well you should, this isn't just some dandy-schmandy scripted event where everything plays without a hitch. Obviously real life is full of variables and Makoto is apparently one of them now! Alright then, let me explain the mechanics of this stage of the trial: The **Rebuttal Showdown**! In this mode, you'll have a one-on-one debate with the prosecutor- not Seijun, just so you know- and you'll have to counter the other person's claim, draw out their weak spots and argue against them. Just like the **Nonstop Debate**, the prosecutor's words will be recorded and played out on your menu screen and you're gonna have to swipe at it like one of those mobile games, you know like those mad avians or something... Anyways, once you've cut down their claims the debate should progress in your favor and there will be a developing conversation! If you don't cut their claims in time, the debate's favor will obviously shift in the opposite direction and well it's basically a mini game-over for you, huh? Oh and be aware of the sharpness counter at the bottom left on the screen. They'll tell you how much swipes you gets before you run out of ammo. If you've manage to survive that far then the prosecution is bound to slip up and reveal weak points in their developed conversations and you're gonna have to choose the right **Truth Blade** to break through. What? **Truth Blade** is a smart name change... don't judge me!"_

{=**_Objection –CROSS SWORD-_**=}

* * *

**-REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN-**

_PROSECUTION: MAKOTO SHIROGANE_

* * *

Truth Blades loaded:

**{Monokuma File #1|]==0**

**{Neck Wound|]==0**

**{Kimiko's Account|]==0**

**=_START_=**

_Don't tell me you didn't notice..._

_... When you presented that evidence to the court..._

_... That the tarp had a hole in it!_

_No way there was no trail left behind..._

_...That means the murder took place in the pantry!_

**[Total Swipes x 5]**

**=ADVANCE!=**

_"How sure are you that the tarp had a tear on it during the murder?" **–Yuuta**_

**=DEVELOPING CONVERSATION!=**

**_…_**_Huh? Are you serious?_

_... Obviously it had tears in it because the Truth Bullets said so..._

_...Are you saying that the Truth Bullets would lie to us?_

_...What are you, in first grade?_

_...I mean, you said you saw it yourself right?_

_...You found that tarp when you fell..._

_...So obviously it wouldn't be able to retain anything!_

_...Here, I'll read out the description for you..._

_...A hidden, water-proof tarp that has a **long vertical tear**._..

_...The tear is **clean and indicates contact with a sharp object**..._

**=COUNTER=**

_"Allow me to cut through those words!" _**–Yuuta** (Sliced: **{Neck Wound|]==0**)

I found myself swiping away at the screen like a madman while struggling to manage one word responses like "No!" or "Wrong!" and I felt almost mentally drained after that crazy multi-tasking challenge. Monokuma really needs to rethink his trial policies and come up with a better way to execute a one-on-one debate. Thank goodness I'm using my trained trigger finger; otherwise I might have developed a cramp from all that tapping and swiping. As the last few claims of Makoto Shirogane slowly crept across the screen, I quickly tapped the Truth Blade that I mostly think is correct and watch as it cuts the claims in half effortlessly.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K ! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)_**=}

"Huh? Why the hell did my claims break?! Neck wound? What's that supposed to mean?!" Makoto aggressively clutches the ends of her terminal screen, almost as if she's trying to yank it out in frustration.

"Ah, for once, I'm not the only clueless one here!" Akiko snorts as she beams with pride.

"Would you care to elucidate this for the rest of us, Yuuta?" Ryoka looks around at the others for a bit before turning her attention towards me. The only problem is... I'm not too sure about the justification for the break through myself. Somehow, my gut feeling told me that that was the closest answer but, I can't really explain it myself.

"Um, well... you see, I think I should mention _how_ exactly I was able to find that particular tear. It wasn't lying on top of the other tarps or anywhere out in the open. Even if you went through a couple of stacks, you wouldn't be able to find it because this particular tarp was hidden in the bottom most part of the shelf under all the other tarps... almost as if the killer was trying to hide it. I guess I got lucky when I tripped on the slippery floor and landed on my back because only then was I able to see it from underneath the shelf itself," I try my best to explain but Makoto still looks unnerved by all this.

"Yeah, so? What the hell does that have to with the tears?" She grumbles from her end of the trial circle.

"The tarp seems pretty suspicious and I guess it's safe to assume that it had come into contact with the killer at one point. So, what I'm trying to say is... What if the tear in the tarp and the wound in Hibiki's neck is caused by the same weapon?" A cascading echo of gasps is all I needed to hear as I stood triumphantly with my breakthrough.

"A clean tear... that indicates contact with a sharp object," Ryoka muses out loud.

"Don't forget, it was a long and vertical tear too," Fujiwara fixes his glasses as he adds the extra information.

"And given the wound on Hibiki's neck is small and deep...," Megumi places her hands on her hips as she looks up to the ceiling, trying to piece together something.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Kimiko chirps enthusiastically as she stands on her toes to try to influence the others.

"I agree, it would make perfect sense when you think about it from the killer's point of view. Imagine wrapping the body up with the tarp in a hurry to get to the pantry. It's probable that the killer maybe left the murder weapon in the tarp as well, or perhaps they didn't think it would leave such a tell tale clue behind. When the killer unwrapped the body, the fabric of the tarp must have come in contact with the murder weapon's sharp edge, thus creating that long, vertical tear," Yevan speaks out loud with her arms crossed but instead of the expected gasps of affirmation, she just gets confused looks from the others.

"Heh, didn't think you were the smart one, at first," Tsubasa veils his brief admiration for her with a thick layer of sarcasm.

"Oh, I guess that does make sense when you put it that way," Kotone nods in agreement.

"But what exactly could have caused those damages?" Megumi brings the question to the table and all of us are left speechless as we try to go through all the possibilities in our heads.

"Are all of you really not seeing the connection here?" Kuno gives a muffled laugh as he tries to restrain himself

"If you've got something, then just spit it out," Makoto taps her foot impatiently.

"You appear to be getting even more boring by the second," Akio scoffs as he glances away from Kuno.

"Right, right, sorry for that. It's just that the answer that you're all looking for could easily be found if you take one more look at who our victim is," He smiles as he stands back passively to let us come to the conclusion ourselves.

_Our victim is Hibiki Yukata, SHSL Hairdresser..._

_We should be able to find the murder weapon if we look closely at the victim's identity?_

_Could it be...?_

"You're talking about something Hibiki would have on her because of her talent, right?" The answer is just below the surface of my mind. I just need one look at Kuno's reaction to know if I've hit the nail on the head.

"Very good, Yuuta. You've definitely got a knack for detective work, my friend. Have you ever thought of a career in espionage?" He smiles brightly and that's all the proof I need.

"The murder weapon has got to be a pair of scissors!" I spoke loudly so everyone could hear me, thinking that we'd all agree to the same conclusion. But instead, I get a few disapproving looks and the rest just look like they were going to laugh.

"Wait, just think about it for a second. Hibiki was known as the SHSL Hairdresser, right? So she would definitely have access to her own pair of scissors and even if that wasn't the case, we've already established that the murder happened in the storage room, so the killer could have easily found another pair of scissors. If you actually tried to open your minds to the possibility, I think you'll find that a pair of scissors fit the murder weapon's profile perfectly," Megumi raised her voice in the midst of the awkward atmosphere and I was a little surprised by that. Nonetheless I still smiled back at her and mouthed 'thank you'.

"Well... it's definitely thin and vertically long, I'll give you that," Akio shrugs his shoulders as he slowly accepts the fact that my assumption was right.

"Still, isn't it odd that Hibiki would be walking around with a pair of scissors in her hands? As if it wasn't ironic enough that she was killed with her own tool, it just seems ridiculous for her to be going about her business with that in her hands," Seijun tries to dismiss the possibility but Kimiko squirms in her stand as she looks at me hesitantly.

"No, it's not odd at all. I've got the proof right here!" scrolling through the list of Truth Bullets, I finally found the one that I was looking for. I tap the one titled **Kimiko's Account** and choose to present it in front of the trial.

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"Yesterday, Kimiko herself told me that Hibiki had planned to meet her later that night while I was searching for tools in the storage room," I begin to elaborate further on the Truth Bullet that was televised on the giant screen. "She said that Hibiki was going to do her hair at their meeting that day, so it would make sense that Hibiki herself already had the scissors in her hands,"

"Yeah! But big sis Hibiki didn't even show up last night so... I just thought that she was just not interested anymore after the fiasco in the storage room happened," Kimiko pouts as she recalls last night's event.

"A fiasco? Did you guys have a fight or something? That's really, really, really suspicious you know!" Akiko gasps much to Kimiko's dismay.

"No, no! You've got that wrong! Hibiki wasn't fighting with me, it was about Yuuta!" She pleads and now it's my turn to feel uncomfortable.

"What?! Hibiki fought with Yuuta?! That's really, really, really suspicious you know!" She points a finger accusingly at me.

"What have you got to say for yourself, man?" Kenta joins in the lynching as he stares me down.

"Uh... I think you should let her finish first," I gave a half-hearted smile but he seems to have none of it.

"Hey, you're the one who's the most suspicious here, man! I mean you're the one who 'found the body' after all," Kenta's eyes narrow at me.

"LISTEN! Hibiki didn't have a fight with anyone in the room! She was just upset after talking about something from her past!" Kimiko shouts at the top of her lungs to dispel any suspicion caused by jumping to conclusions.

"Hmph," Tsubasa crosses his arms and looks pensively away.

"Oh, so then... Hibiki didn't come meet you that night?" Ryoka asks but she had a cold seriousness in her voice.

"Yeah, that's right," Kimiko plainly replies.

"And... she had planned to do your hair that night too, right?" Ryoka once again asks with acute focus.

"Y-yeah... she did promise... w-why do you ask?" Kimiko breaks out into a cold sweat as she starts to understand the reasoning behind Ryoka's sudden change in demeanor.

Ryoka bites her bottom lip as she casts a doubtful look downwards to the floor. "We've established that this case is indeed a murder... and we've also pin-pointed where the actual location of the murder and put the murder weapon on the victim herself..."

"Hmmm... I still don't get what you're saying though..." Tetsu grumbles as he squints his eyes really hard, deep in thought.

"Are... are you... Were you the one...?" Tsubasa looks back at Kimiko with eyes wide in disbelief. "B- but you were so convincing back at the cafeteria..."

"Wha- what are you implying here...? Why are all of you looking at me like that?" Kimiko took a step backwards as her breathing gets more rapid.

"Unbelievable... even I did not see this coming," Akio mutters darkly as he casts an accusatory glance at Kimiko.

"I don't want to believe this... but the evidence so far leads to a jarring conclusion..." Ryoka looks up from the floor and gazes apologetically at the court's target.

"No... you can't mean..." Her voice is breaking as her eyes start to get watery.

"Hmph. You've been exceptionally convincing thus far, but I would have expected nothing less from someone who holds the title of SHSL Hollywood Star after all. You've been pretending all this while, even attempted to assist in the case only to throw suspicion off of you but that is your ultimate undoing. From what we've gathered so far... the murderer needed to be in close contact with Hibiki herself when she was still holding the murder weapon," Yevan smirks as she begins her smug narration of events.

She drops her hands to her side as she stands with her back straight, like a predator ready to strike. "And that person would have had the perfect opportunity to commit such a crime during their little hair appointment, isn't that right Kimiko Sanazawa?"

{=**_Class Trial (Odd Edition)_**=}

"GASP!" Akiko actually says the word gasp after she does the verb form of said word. "The sweet, meek little girl turned out to actually be a cold-hearted killer?!"

"What? I didn't do it!" Kimiko screams as she trembles in fear.

"Drop your acting! The evidence clearly points to you so you better stop your resistance at once, for justice!" Seijun terrorizes the petite girl without any second thoughts.

"B-b- but I'm not acting!" Kimiko protests to no avail.

"Hey uh, guys... are you sure about this? I mean, what if she's innocent?" Tetsu tries to defend her but everyone is just too stubborn to relent.

"You really are clueless, aren't you? You're falling right into her trap if she's got you thinking that way," Akio sneers at Tetsu with a cruel curl of his lips.

"Hey, aren't you guys going a little overboard here? Why are you antagonizing her like this? We've only had some evidence that links her as the main suspect but we haven't reached a final decision yet!" Kotone tries to regain control of the trial that's spiraling out of control.

"And why exactly are you taking her side, huh? Oh, I get it. You guys are in on this little scheme together! That's why you guys were able to cover this up so fast!" Makoto growls as she rolls back the sleeves of her shirt, ready for a confrontation.

"Kimiko... you- why?!" Tsubasa also looks like he's on the verge of tears as the bitter feeling of betrayal consumes him.

While the chaos is ensuing in front of me, I simply stood there in my own little circle completely speechless. Kimiko was so adamant on catching the killer that she even managed to talk some sense into Tsubasa. Without her, we never would have made this much progress during the investigation- and by laws of extension, this trial. Was this really all just a twisted game for her? Are those tears that are falling from her face even real?

In my indecision and discomfort, I sneak a glance at Kuno who seems rather annoyed by the whole debacle playing out before him. He rolls his eyes and inadvertently crosses path with my line of sight. When he sees that I too, am unsure about what to make of the situation, he simply shakes his head.

"I- I'm not acting! Please believe me! I would never hurt Hibiki! Please, just believe me already!" Kimiko cries out in frustration as she clutches her hair desperately choking back tears.

"What did I just say about needing everyone's cooperation?" Kuno sighs as he softly speaks up in an attempt to diffuse the situation, although I can tell he's not interested in entering the limelight again.

_Everyone's relentless in their accusations to make Kimiko the suspect..._

_But I'm not really convinced..._

_Despite her talent, I know for sure that she was one of the closest with Hibiki..._

_Unless she had been acting from the very beginning...?_

_"Upupupu! Well how are things going so far? Too hot for you to handle? That's too bad, I like my dishes... spicy, to say the least. Anyways, don't worry about this little message being too long-winded or anything. I'm just here to explain that sometimes, everything you know might be the opposite of what you know, nyahahaha! Sometimes the weak points in a **Nonstop Debate** may actually be logic points where you'll have to choose the right **Truth Bullet** to agree with said point. The mechanics are exactly the same as a regular **Nonstop Debate** so just fire away!_

{=**_Discussion -HEAT UP-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Trail of Water|]**

**(|Upside-Down Box|]**

**(|Neck Wound|]**

**=_START_=**

_"Alright, care to explain what you were doing last night?" **–Yevan**_

_"I was in my room **THE WHOLE TIME**!" **–Kimiko**_

_"The plan was for Hibiki to get some supplies and meet up later in my room!" **–Kimiko**_

_"That just makes you even more suspicious," **–Akio**_

_"You don't have an alibi after all," **–Akio**_

_"I don't need an alibi!" **–Kimiko**_

_"I didn't do it! **I DIDN'T KILL HIBIKI**!" **–Kimiko**_

_"So you're saying that you can't confirm the fact that you didn't kill Hibiki?" **–Kenta**_

_"That doesn't even make any sense!" **–Kimiko**_

_"Hmm... she's got a point," **–Akiko**_

_"Even I know that what you said doesn't make any sense," **–Akiko**_

_"Guys, you're all being a little hard on Kimiko, don't you think?"** –Tetsu**_

_"Leave no stone unturned, right Ryoka?" **–Seijun**_

_"…," **–Ryoka**_

_"No, I'm pretty sure that there actually is evidence," **–Kuno**_

_"That supports the fact that **HIBIKI WENT TRHOUGH WITH THE PLAN**" –**Kuno**_

**=CONSENT=**

_"I agree with that!" _**–Yuuta **(Fired: **(|Upside-Down Box|]**)

Thinking back on it, the box was the only odd thing that I couldn't check because of its placement on the topmost shelf and the fact that it happened to be placed right in front of the slippery floor, making jumping or tip-toeing a difficult task. Seeing as the only other person that knew about was Akio and Kuno, my guts tell me that it was Kuno who had secured the clue during the investigation period. After all, he is taller than me and even if he didn't have a height advantage, he'd probably scale the shelves with a spy trick or something.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Future Edition)_**=}

"Kuno's right, there are 2 clues that prove that Hibiki did enter the storage room to get some supplies. That means that she was probably going to follow through on their plan to meet up later," Everyone stops their bickering and looks at me with mixed reactions. Kimiko however seems very relieved to have all the pressure off her back.

"I can't really confirm one of the clues however since I didn't really get a good look at it during the investigation. But the other clue that I can elaborate is the slippery floor that is supposed to be the main scene of the crime. The floor that was cleaned up is directly in front of the shelf that's fully stocked on hair care products and equipment," I clear my throat as I bring up my next pivotal point. "Adding that to what we have so far, we can assume that Hibiki was killed when she was in the storage room to gather supplies,"

Kuno smiled as a sign of what I assume to be approval and proceeds to continue where I left off. "The box that was upside down is just for a regular hairdryer. The box itself doesn't hold anything remarkable or eye-catching as it's the box's position that speaks the most," He taps the truth bullet on his screen and seconds later, the image of the mysterious box pops out and lay there in the centre of my screen.

From the picture alone I can tell that it's a generic and cheap hairdryer that you can find in one of those large retail stores that look like warehouses and order in bulk. However, one thing did strike me as odd as I thought to myself why did Monokuma let this bug go unchecked? The picture appeared to be upside down and I assumed that the evidence itself was found that way, hence its title, but upon closer inspection I can make out that the words, warnings and component details are all right side up.

"As you can see, this picture is actually not inverted or flipped in anyway. This is the natural design of the box and it looks exactly like the other rows of similar boxes that line the top shelf, except for the upside-down one, of course. The reason being, the company printed the images of these hairdryers from a bird's-eye-view, causing anyone to easily mistake the orientation of the box in the first place," He finishes up his presentation with a slight nod.

"Ah... yeah, now I see it," Fujiwara adjusts his glasses as he leans really close to the screen. "It's kinda like an optical illusion, no?"

"But, why the hell would this one particular box be upside down?" Makoto shrugs as she picks at her ears, starting to get lost from the sudden change of direction this trial is taking.

"Maybe Monokuma accidentally placed it upside down?" Tetsu looks attentive for a minute while he scratches his chin but gives up with a shrug in the end.

"I DON'T MAKE MISTAKES!" Monokuma hisses from his throne. "Now get back to stabbing each other's backs and don't you dare bring me up again while you're in a trial! Consider this a warning, upupu!"

"My guess is that after Hibiki had tried to reach for the box, she would be in a vulnerable position," Kuno lays out the prompt for us to finish.

"And that's when the killer struck! Damn, that sneaky son of a bitch... She was defenseless and they still went after her!" Tsubasa growls as he clamps his fists around the railing.

"Oh, I get it! So when the killer killed Hibiki, she was still holding onto the box and when she reflexively jerked back in pain, thus causing the box to fall down, right? Then, because of the box's awkward design, the killer didn't notice that they had put the box back upside down!" Akiko's eyes sparkle as she surprises everyone with her solid theory. "Wow! This is the first time I got something right!"

"S-so... that means I'm not the killer, right?" Kimiko meekly stutters through sobs.

"No, you still don't have an alibi. For all we know, you could've left your room while Hibiki was getting the stuff for you and stabbed her while she was least expecting it!" Yevan snaps back at her and causes her to flinch.

"N-no! I didn't leave my room since evening! The last time I saw Hibiki was in the evening, a couple of hours before we were even supposed to meet. I mean, it was even before dinnertime which I didn't go to, if I may add. So really, the last time I saw her was yesterday evening and she was still very much alive at the time. Yuuta can back up that claim!" Kimiko tries her best to prove her innocence and I struggle to think back to the event she's referring to. I know it was just yesterday but it feels like weeks have passed since then.

"Yeah... I remember that. You were going to check on Hibiki then, right? Yeah, I think I saw you heading back to your room on my way back to the school area with the tools. Come to think of it, I don't think I saw you either later... No, I definitely didn't see you later at night when I went to the kitchen. Those three can back up my claim too!" I point out to Akiko, Makoto and Kenta as I recall last night's event. The more think about it, the more I'm starting to believe Kimiko's innocence. Perhaps she did show her head around the halls just before night had fallen but I wasn't really focused on who was where at the time.

"Oh yeah, I remember! Oh the food was sooooo good!" Akiko licks her lips in anticipation.

"I'm flattered, but now's not the time to think about dinner," Yevan couldn't help but smile a little.

"See! There's no way I could've have killed Hibiki! And there's no way I would've done it too!" Kimiko seems to return to her chipper self once the suspicion is thrown off her.

"Well, that seems to be the case. But our lack of progress is really starting to grate at my nerves," Seijun takes in a deep breath as he tries to control himself.

"... There is... one way we could progress our discussions to, but..." Ryoka who was so uncharacteristically quiet just moments ago had suddenly spoken up. "I didn't want to bring it up before I had any solid evidence but... it seems that we have no choice but to discuss this particular topic for the time being. The reason I refrained from opening this topic in the first place... is that it could very well uproot everything we've talked about so far,"

{=**_A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma_**=}

"Everything?! Is it really something that serious?!" Akiko cries out in shock.

"Inconceivable! You're just spouting nonsense now!" Seijun raises his voice in protest.

"Is it... something that we got carried away with and ended up overlooking it?" Megumi tilted her head as usual.

Ryoka nodded gently before tapping on a Truth Bullet. "The killing... and its cover-up... if we look at this particular clue then I'm sure you'll understand the huge contradiction," on all of our screens came the description tab for the **Room logs**. "As you can see, this clue states that each person has swiped their rooms once for the day, with Hibiki's entry being the earliest for obvious reasons,"

"Oh... I think I see what you're getting at," Akio muses to himself.

"What is it? I don't see anything wrong with it. Hibiki's entry is the earliest because she committed suicide, right?" Tetsu says absent-mindedly.

"... But we already know that Hibiki was murdered, remember?" Kotone tries her best to guide a clueless Tetsu.

"Exactly. The room logs itself indicates the routine that plays along with the Monokuma file. In other words... the room logs are actually a cover-up done by the killer themselves," Ryoka looks at the rest of the students expectantly, hoping for us to at least be able to figure out the answer from here.

"Well, yeah. Makes sense. The killer was probably just trying to hide their tracks or something," Makoto's blunt answer knocks some disappointment into Ryoka who sighs.

"Yes, that and the fact that the killer had with them something needed to set up the room logs as indicated. They had, in their possession, Hibiki's ElectroiD," she explains further.

At that point, I was able to finish the rest of her reasoning myself and immediately blurt out. "Then that means... the killer had to have swiped the card at 6:49 am, right?" Ryoka seems pleased and notions for me to continue. "Oh, um... well if the killer swiped Hibiki's room at that time... and given the conditions of the room logs itself... then, the killer would have to be outside their room for the time being in hiding!"

All at once, the courtroom was filled with the shocked gasps of every unsuspecting student. Seijun looks the most visibly disturbed, after all the light of justice was his one and only anchor in this place. "What are you saying? That the killer was out of their room during that time?!"

Akio raises an eyebrow and mockingly sneers at him. "Yeah, that's kinda what she said. Now... given the fact that the rooms had only been swiped once since the start of the day itself... Well I'm sure if you guys had tried to keep an open mind this next revelation won't cause you that much grief when it reveals itself,"

Instantly, the answer came rushing through the depths of my subconscious and I expressed it out of my system in an oddly enthusiastic manner. "The killer couldn't have been in their room since before the clock had struck 12!"

"Right," Ryoka affirms. "The murder, and the cover-up, occurred sometime **during the nighttime lockdown**,"

{=**_Tropical Despair_**=}

Ryoka turns to face Monokuma, ignoring all open mouths and wide eyes as she focuses all her attention to her next question. "I have a question for you Monokuma. Is it possible for someone to not be in their room during the nighttime period?"

Monokuma jumps up on his throne in a defensive manner and begins lashing out. "Hey what did tell you guys about bringing up in a trial, huh? Am I not fair enough as headmaster? Are you not entertained?!" He shouts out as he stomps up and down in a childish manner.

"Enough with your eccentricity. I'm just here to ask a question," Ryoka tries her best not to roll her eyes.

"Oh, why yes. Ask away, I'm all about fairness and impartiality after all!" Monokuma relaxes back in his seat after throwing his tantrum.

"Again, is it possible for someone to not be in their room during the nighttime period?"

"Ah! Well of course not! I mean, didn't I warn you guys about that before? Unless... you could find some loophole to my restrictions, then... nope! I can't say that it's possible, upupu!" Monokuma bursts out into laughter as he savors the look of despair painted thickly on our faces.

_A loophole, huh...?_

_Wasn't there something in the rules that allows this bypass of restrictions...?_

Quickly, I scan through the list of truth bullets before finding one titled **Monokuma's Rules**. As soon as the truth bullet is brought up to the screen, I hurriedly begin to exploit the loophole to turn the tide of this trial in our favor. "There's actually a huge flaw in the first rule itself, right Monokuma? **Rule 1: "Nighttime" is from 11 pm to 6 am. Log activity during this period of time will result in punishment.** Instead of saying something more typical like '**Going in and out of rooms**' you used the term '**Log activity**'. That term itself is the loophole that you created, right Monokuma?"

"Upupupupu! Oopsie-daisy, looks like the cat's out of the bag now, NYAHAHAHAHA!" Monokuma laughs so hard that he lands on his back with his feet sprawled out in the air. "Well, now that you've figured that out, I'm finally allowed to reveal this fun little fact; yes, it IS possible for someone to not be in their room during the nighttime period!"

"A-are you serious, dude?!" Kenta mumbles as he pulls his cape over his head akin to a child hiding under the covers.

"Have... have you been planning this all the way since the moment we woke up?" Kotone covers her mouth in shock.

"Then... all this time, I thought this was going to be an easy case but..." Seijun slams his fist to the railing and shouts. "How could I have missed that loophole?!"

"Eh? What does that mean, guys? Guys?" Akiko looks genuinely confused. "We still know who the killer is right?"

"No... Things are much harder now..." Megumi shakes her head as she realizes the impending truth.

_No one has an alibi for the time of murder..._

* * *

**[CLASS TRIAL! SUSPENDED!]**

* * *

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

_"Wowie! Bet you guys didn't see that one coming, huh? In fact, I bet you guys know every single little detail of everything, huh? Well you're wrong! Very, very, wrong! You can't know everything, not unless you had a superpower talent like Super High School Level Analyst, but of course such a despairingly perfect gift is out of your reach. Nah, you know what? It's these little things you can't predict that makes life fun, no? Those little accidents like stubbing your toe, leaving the oven on, and getting your hand caught in a blender are the thing that adds such a wonderful spice to life, don't you think? But then... are those seemingly-unrelated and uncontrollable turn of events really all that untouchable? Hmmm... I dunno, that's a little too deep for my blood, but speaking of deep, check out this poem I made, upupupu! They should really give me the title of SHSL Poet for this masterpiece!" –**Monokuma**_

**Valde Sorte**

_Lamb was born of ill-fate_

_Grazed the dull day and night away_

_Ursa Major, divine navigation, death's intent_

_Blessed with fire and stone, first steps taken_

_Lamb was born of ill-luck_

_And probably zero brains too_

_Wow poetry is hard_

_I'll rhyme hard with smart_

_Because that's what I am_

_Upupupupu_

* * *

**a/n: Well then, the first part of the trial is finally over, phew! Now that the trial is in progress, new evidence is starting to come to light and I'm feeling a little bit curious; do you guys still have the same votes for the culprit? Or might you perhaps have a change of heart? Will you be able to figure out the rest of the mystery with a little help from this chapter? Send it in your reviews or votes if you haven't done so already! Over and out. :)**

(Latin is obviously the best choice for ominous poetry titles, yeah)


	7. Ch 1: The First Trial 1-2

**a/n: Alright, I won't bore you with a long note this time, I'm just here to announce that there'll be one more chapter after this before Chapter 1 officially closes. Don't worry, the trial ends here, along with an execution :)**

* * *

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

_"Today I'd like to talk to you kids about the importance of gore in movies. Now you might think that gore is unnecessary and just plain disgusting, but it's a great lesson on the capabilities of the human body! Without them, you wouldn't be able to see how bones can snap and pierce through flesh and skin; you wouldn't be able to see how corrosive substances can strip away layers and layers of human tissue; you wouldn't be able to see the insides of a skull cracked open by a sledgehammer, at least you wouldn't be able to unless you tried it out yourselves in the real world! But that's a big no-no and if you do that, kids... well then you deserve to be punished! Speaking of gory movies, have I ever told you how much I love that American movie series about death being an actual force in the physical plane that kills off anyone who cheated his design through a detailed orchestra of seemingly unrelated events that ultimately lead to the brutal death of those characters! What was it called... um...? Final Pit Stop or something... Eh, who cares? What I really love is how they make those entire deaths look like freak accidents through a bunch of mini-detonators; a Rube Goldberg contraption if you will. What's that? You don't know what a Rube Goldberg device is? What do they even teach you in school these days? Don't tell me you don't even know about Morphogenetic Field Theory?! Jumping jellybeans, it's a miracle you guys survived this long!"_

* * *

**Class Trial! Resume!**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"Well then, I hope you all enjoyed that little break and calmed down a little because all that gasping and screaming must really be doing a number on your bodies," Monokuma announces in a haughty manner, adding fuel to an already raging fire. "Now, off with you lot. I expect this trial to prove rivetingly educational!"

"Since when did you become British?" Kotone couldn't help but take on the task of asking such a naïve question.

"I'll have none of your lip here, girl. A bear can be British if he so chooses, God Save the Queen. No more ghastly provocations from you young lady or it's off to the gallows for the lot of you! Upupupu!" With both his pinkies raised in the air, Monokuma delights himself to be posh and orders us to continue on with the trial.

With a grunt, which I presume is supposed to convey a threatening tone in her voice, Yevan narrowed her eyes at the SHSL Make-up Artist and barks a command at her "You heard him. Just ignore that bear and focus on the case,"

Looking slightly taken aback, Kotone shrugs off her personal attack and stays silent.

"So uh... what now?" Tetsu tugs at his bandana ends that stick out where it's folded at his nape. As I recall, Ryoka had steered this trial into a whole new direction through her discovery that the murder occurred during a period of time where we should have been confined in our rooms. Of course in order to do so, the killer must have not been able to go back into their room after the hands of the clock had landed on the number 11.

"Hey Megumi, did you remember the rest of the log entries from last night?" I raise my head in her direction, hoping that she would have the answer.

She tilts her head for a bit and places a finger on her chin while giving off a distinct 'um' before sighing sadly and shaking her head. "I don't really remember, sorry..."

"Hmm... too bad you didn't inform me of that plan of yours. I bet I could've been more use than I was during our investigation," Fujiwara slides a finger up the bridge of his nose to adjust his glasses. I couldn't tell if he was being passive-aggressive or genuinely apologetic from his tone and gave him an awkward smile.

"It's alright, I'm sure the hint about the couch will come up later in the trial," I do my best to ease up any unfairness on my part. "Anyways, I was just wondering if we can check if anyone's entry seems a little bit off prior to the nighttime period. But I guess that solution is unreachable now," Sighing to myself, I felt even more unnerved as if we were backed into a corner. After all this amount of talk, we seem to be getting nowhere near figuring out the killer's identity.

"Perhaps we need to bookmark the logs for now and move on to another angle. If we can piece together another part of the puzzle, then maybe we can bridge the missing gap between them on our own," the cool and collected voice that belonged to Ryoka always manages to snap us back into focus and this time it's no different. "Let's talk about what the killer did after they killed Hibiki,"

"Well, obviously they tried to cover their tracks," Akio taps his fingers on the railing as he sighs heavily.

"W-well, they tried to make it look like she had taken her own life, right? So then after bringing the body to the pantry they probably went back to pick up all the items needed to stage it!" A previously meek and vulnerable Kimiko had regained her confidence and began to speak up more clearly.

"But when exactly did they have the chance to do it? If we're going by the fact that Hibiki was killed when she was getting the supplies for your meeting then wouldn't that place her actual time of death to be somewhere around 10, I presume?" Kuno nods his head gently as he furrows his eyebrows together, deep in thought.

_Was she really killed before the curfew had a chance to start?_

_It wouldn't make sense if she was killed afterwards, but then..._

_There's gotta be a way to narrow down how, when and where the whole process occurred..._

{=**_Discussion -BREAK-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Monokuma File #1|]**

**(|Monokuma's Rules|]**

**(|Neck Wound|]**

**(|Tarp with Tears|]**

**(|Two Shirts|]**

**=_START_=**

_"If she was killed after 11 pm," **–Seijun **_

_"Then this case would make even less sense than we started," **–Seijun**_

_"What would she be doing out pass curfew anyways?" **–Seijun**_

_"Then the killer **HID THE BODY** somewhere we couldn't see!" **–Kimiko**_

_"But what exactly were they planning to do afterwards?" **–Kuno**_

_"The numerous inconsistencies and unpredictable nature of this murder," **–Kuno**_

_"Suggests that it wasn't pre-meditated," **–Kuno**_

_"Are you saying that the killer killed Hibiki because **THEY FELT LIKE IT**?!" **–Kenta**_

_"Are you fucking serious?" **–Tsubasa**_

_"You're telling me that the killer is some kind of psychopathic maniac?" **–Tsubasa**_

_"I doubt it," **–Kuno**_

_"In fact, judging by their actions, I'd say they felt pretty remorseful,"** –Kuno**_

_"Don't start with that psychoanalysis bullshit of yours,"** –Tsubasa**_

_"You really should learn to keep an open mind," **–Kuno**_

_"There's **SOMETHING ON THE BODY** that proves my previous statement," **–Kuno**_

**=CONSENT=**

_"I agree with that!" **–**_**Yuuta **(Fired: **(|Two Shirts|]**)

Without hesitation, I tapped on the bullet which I was so sure off and of course, it managed to break through the barrier on the screen. I wasn't too sure about just how much the killer felt guilty about their actions but there's no denying some degree of remorse based on this... unless it was also part of the killer's tricks?

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Turbulent Edition)_**=}

"When Kuno and I were checking on the condition of the body, we discovered that Hibiki was actually wearing 2 layers of the same shirt. Only, the layer underneath was completely drenched in blood," when I spoke up to elaborate about the clue, I was immediately interrupted by Tsubasa.

"You... undressed my sister?" It was a tone of cold fury as I noticed that he was trying his best to hold back from causing a scene.

"No, no, please don't misunderstand. When I was inspecting the noose around her next, I realized that there was a small red fabric poking out from underneath her shirt. At first I thought it was something meant to stay hidden... if you will, but upon discovering the location of her stab wound and using a little bit of common sense, a thought had occurred to me. If it helps you feel any better, I didn't look past the second layer," Kuno gave an apologetic smile and raised his hand as if to surrender to Tsubasa who still looked agitated but a little less tense, for now.

"Oh, so that was just part of the killer's trick to make it look like a suicide, right?" Kimiko raised her head as her eyes grew wide in realization.

"But... why go through all that trouble to stage a suicide... and leave the original bloodied shirt on her?" Fujiwara asked as he idly toyed with his glasses.

"Sounds to me like the killer here is afraid of a little lady-parts," Makoto folded her arms and looked slightly annoyed by this.

"Whaaaaaaa... are you seriously thinking that the killer could get cold feet after stabbing Hibiki in the neck brutally like that?" Tetsu scoffed and rolled his eyes only to receive a threatening glare from Makoto.

"That's exactly it... The killer seems to have had a sense of respect as to not defile her body. Perhaps they were a bit prudish too, in fact" Kuno runs a hand through his hair as he gazes downwards intently, deep in thought.

"That's stupid, if someone could just fucking kill her in cold blood like that just because of something Monokuma said, then they're nothing but a pathetic pushover who deserves that punishment!" Tsubasa grabs the railing in front of him as he yells out to everyone, his body leaning over the rails as if to emphasize his point.

"Tsubasa, please calm down! I understand how you feel and-" before Kotone could finish her sentence, Tsubasa raised a hand to silence her and turned his head slowly in her direction.

"No. You don't know how I feel. You don't know how hard it is being a parent when you're supposed to be your little sister's brother instead. You don't know what it feels to be stuck in a trial because the one person you've been trying to protect and wasted your years watching over is murdered. Murdered by none other than one of you..." He narrowed his eyes in contempt at the court and dragged his line of sight across the room in a slow, mocking manner.

With a deep breath, he turned back to look at Kotone. "Now, if you don't mind... Keep your pity to yourselves and stay focused on the trial. If you want to make me feel better, then find the damn killer!" a loud bang echoed through the courtroom as Tsubasa slammed his fist down again. It must be bruising quite prominently by now... but I kept quiet from making that comment out loud, lest I incur the wrath of the finger painter.

A few moments of awkward silence followed as the momentum of the trial had come to a screeching halt due to Tsubasa's outburst. Clearing his throat, Kuno managed to pick up the pace and resumed his discussion. "...Her jacket was clean too, though I presume that its actually not the one she wore when she was attacked,"

"I bet the killer probably entered her room and got the spare clothes to dress up the victim in such a state," Seijun snapped his fingers in realization and proceeded to call out whoever had entered Hibiki's room during the investigation. Gingerly, Megumi raised her hand and I followed suit. "Did any of you check the bathroom area?" his face dropped into disappointment when we shook our heads in response.

"Nope! We didn't have enough time to do so. Monokuma announced the end of the investigation as soon as we discovered Hibiki's suicide note!" Akiko chimed up despite the fact that she had forgotten to raise her hand.

"S-suicide note?! Then she really did...," Kenta's eyes widen as he brought a hand up to his mouth. A similar reaction had found its way to some of the other members of the court too.

"No... She's misinterpreting the clue actually," Megumi tapped the button on her terminal and out came the clue known as the **Anatomy Chart**. "When we entered Hibiki's room, Akiko found this on her desk and immediately regarded it as her final message but it's really just the tutorial Monokuma provided each and every one of us on which weak points to strike,"

"Upupupu... fairness and equality, after all. It wouldn't be fair now would it if some players had certain physical advantages than the others. This little chart here was meant to level out the playing field so even a meek and scrawny little cub can take down a large mammoth! Attack on giants! Nyahahaha!" after lecturing us with a condescending tone, Monokuma chortled in his seat before shooing us off from anymore questions.

"Sheesh what was that all about? Way to distract us from the matter at hand," Tetsu shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck nonchalantly.

However, a scoff that came from Kuno's direction that soon evolved into a light chuckle caught our attention. "What? What's so funny?" Tetsu dropped his hand as one of his eyebrows arched in curiosity.

"So... you saw it too, Kuno?" Ryoka looked at Kuno with a certain determination which I couldn't exactly make out. Without speaking a word, Kuno nodded his head gently and Ryoka ultimately looked somewhat... pleased? I'm starting to wonder if these two have some sort of psychic connection as I wrack my brain trying to decipher their cryptic message.

"If you have something to say then just spit it out already!" Yevan muttered underneath her breath with enough ferocity and volume to be heard by the rest of the class.

"Yeah, stop eyeing each other and tell us already. You better not be hiding anything about my sister's murder!" Tsubasa clenched his fists until the knuckles were slowly starting to drain of colour.

"...It is of no concern to the case, yet. By your own words, we should switch our focus back to the trial, don't you think?" Kuno raised both his hands to try and paint a more trustworthy light on himself although his tone was somewhat somber and serious. "I'm sure, in due time, this clue will resurface itself,"

"Tch, whatever..." It was clear that Kuno was not going to relent on his decision and Tsubasa reluctantly had no choice but to play along. "Where were we?" He spoke through gritted teeth.

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"Well, we were talking about the killer's reasoning for a contradicting execution of their plan to disguise the body as a suicide, right?" Megumi recounts the minutes of the trials as she trails her chin with her fingers, gaze cast downwards. "Maybe we should talk about the killer's tricks next?"

"Hmm, so we're finally gonna get to debunk this devious trickery on the killers part," Akio smirks as he nods his head gently up and down repeatedly as if he's taking delight in our topic.

"Leave it all to me; I'll blow this case wide open!" Seijun bursts with pride as he announces to the class. "You've been hogging this trial for far too long now and I think it's the prosecutor's time to shine," He points his finger back and forth alternating between Kuno and Ryoka before fixing his collar smugly.

"... for justice, right?" Kenta snaps sarcastically at him but Seijun gracefully accepts it as a compliment.

"But of course," He shot a smirk to the martial artist before resuming the discussion in a more serious nature. "So we've made it very clear that Hibiki's true cause of death was the stab wound under her jaw, but did the killer really expect us to be unable to find it by covering it up in... what was it?" Seijun pauses for a moment as he looks through the list of evidence before selecting one. "This **Sticky Substance** is obviously some strong glue that's meant to hold the noose in place so even if anyone disturbed the body, it would not budge and thus keep the real fatal wound hidden,"

"Thinking back on it now, what if the killer didn't know that an investigation would be held and hence why they did a really shoddy job disguising the... body," Yevan's tone dropped several decibels when she reached the last word, almost as if she was trying to avoid it.

"That... would make sense. The killer probably thought that once we discovered the body, Monokuma might arrive and let them graduate... so really, all they needed to do was to make it look like a suicide just long enough so they could escape," Megumi wondered aloud a chain of whispers and murmurs erupted from the court.

"It's logic. Not sure how sound that logic is though, but still it's logic," Makoto closed one of her eyes as she ran her hand through her hair in a thoughtful manner.

"Alright then, miss smarty-pants, if you're so good at figuring things out then would you care to explain how exactly the killer murdered Hibiki during the night yet somehow managed to make it look like she had just died recently?" Seijun huffs as he raised his head high to show contempt; upset that his role in the spotlight had been so short-lived.

"...What are you talking about?" Yevan raised her fist in response of being scrutinized by Seijun.

"Oh... I just assumed that you would have realized this by now, what with you running your mouth and all," Seijun smirked as he realized that he still had the upper hand in the discussion and despite the menacing glare coming from Yevan's stand, he didn't even acknowledged it and proceeded to continue his rant. "If you're all so adamant that Hibiki was murdered during the night, then why exactly would the Monokuma file say that she died around sometime before seven?"

"There's a simple solution to that..." He paused for dramatic effect. "It was because she was still alive when she left her room in the morning!"

{=**_Class Trial (Odd Edition)_**=}

"ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE MURDER TOOK PLACE IN THE MORNING NOW?!" Kenta almost screamed as he placed a hand over his mouth in shock.

"I don't even know what's going on anymore!" Akiko cries out as she drops her head in defeat.

Tetsu looked speechless and did a gesture with his hand as if calculating something before hitting a dead end and recalculates the air again.

Seijun chuckled with a deep, resonating voice as he felt confident in his reasoning before triumphantly raising his voice. "How do you like that? You all went through the notion that you thought was absolutely correct without even questioning it. That's very unhealthy especially in a courtroom, you know,"

"... Are you serious...?" Kuno sighed dejectedly as he laid one hand on the rails to support himself as he leaned in a casual manner.

"I see what this is. It's a desperate man's plea," Yevan smirked when she realized that the upper hand is now back in her claim.

Seijun still had a mask of coolness planted on his face despite the ridiculing look he's getting from half the participants of the trial. "If you think you can best me in a debate, then I whole-heartedly implore you to do so!" He raised both his arms out and extended them so far out that he almost knocked Hibiki's portrait over in the stand next to him.

"...Oh my god, you _are_ serious,"

{=**_Discussion -HEAT UP-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Monokuma's Rules|]**

**(|Design of Pantry|]**

**(|Anatomy Chart|]**

**(|Sticky Substance|]**

**(|Slippery Floor|]**

**=_START_=**

_"**HIBIKI WAS STILL ALIVE WHEN SHE WOKE UP THIS MORNING**," **–Seijun **_

_"**THAT'S HOW SHE MANAGED TO SWIPE HER ELECTROID**," **–Seijun**_

_"**WHEN SHE LEFT HER ROOM FOR BREAKFAST**," **–Seijun **_

_"You do realize that everything you say is a weak point" **–Ryoka**_

_"Whoa dude, she's right!" **–Tetsu**_

_"Shut up you two!" **–Seijun**_

_"Anyways, **THAT'S WHEN THE KILLER STRUCK!**" **–Seijun**_

_"Once again, a weak point," **–Ryoka**_

_"Is the system glitching on purpose?" **–Kotone**_

_"Now I have to admit the fact," **–Seijun**_

_"That the killer did lie in wait outside of their room the whole night," **–Seijun**_

_"Because that's what the room logs tell us," **–Seijun**_

_"Hey, his words aren't bolded anymore!"** –Fujiwara**_

_"I guess it really is just a glitch in the system,"** –Kotone**_

_"**BUT THEN WHEN HIBIKI WENT INTO THE PANTRY**," **–Seijun**_

_"Nope, not a glitch," **–Kuno**_

_"**THE KILLER FOLLOWED SUIT AND KILLED HER THERE!**"** –Seijun **_

_"**THEN THEY WIPED THE FLOOR IN THE STORAGE ROOM**," **–Seijun**_

_"**TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE SHE WAS KILLED AT NIGHT!**" **–Seijun**_

_"I really don't think that's what happened," **–Kimiko**_

_"Just accept the fact that you may not be the best lawyer there is," **–Yevan**_

_"Well the killer **COULDN'T HAVE PRESERVED HER TEMPERATURE** anywhere else that we wouldn't notice," **-Seijun**_

**=COUNTER=**

_"No that's wrong!" **–**_**Yuuta **(Fired: **(|Design of Pantry|]**)

Before this debacle staring Seijun could continue any further, I decide to save him from further embarrassment by pulling up the right Truth Bullet that could easily cut through the claims that Seijun is so clearly holding onto.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Dawn Edition)_**=}

"No, there's definitely a way to keep Hibiki's temperature at a high enough level AND keep her body hidden throughout the night," I stared down a nervous-looking Seijun as it looks like I've apparently backed him into a corner. "The only place that could provide the killer with both of these instances is none other than the pantry itself!"

"Ooooh, I get it! It's because of the fact that the room is divided into two areas of convection! If the killer kept the body in the warm area of the room to just before we discovered the body, then it would've looked like she was still alive just moments before we got to her," Kimiko clapped her hands together as she made that revelation.

"Um... what's con...vec...tion?" Akiko asked with a confused look and Kotone hurriedly took on the task to explain it to her. "It's when the hot air and cold air meet together and they sort of form something like a separation between them? You know like layers of different temperatures of air? Well the point is, the pantry's inner area is really cold compared to the outer area which is contrastingly warm," Kotone explains it the best she can but I'm not sure if Akiko gets it or not.

"Anyways, the killer most definitely killed Hibiki last night and used the temperature controls of the pantry to make fake the time of death on the Monokuma file, got it?" I gave Seijun a gentle nod to which he frowned back and looked away in silence.

"But then... when exactly did the killer staged the body's hanging?" Akio brought this up and I felt like we were just going around in circles.

"If you think about it, going through all that trouble to hang a body and returning all the items used back to the storage room must've taken quite a while and the killer obviously knows that Monokuma would play the morning announcement at 7 o'clock every morning. If the killer had used that as an alarm clock to wake up from wherever it was they were hiding, I doubt they'd have enough time to set up the scene without risking being seen by any of the early risers here," Seijun immediately piped up at the topic as if to regain his lost honor.

"It's true, I was the first one in the cafeteria at around a quarter past 7 and I did not see anyone else there," Yevan rolled her eyes but played along nonetheless.

"So the question is, when exactly did the killer set up the scene of the crime?"

I was completely blindsided by this question not because of its impact on the case but rather its relativity to it. Why would the time the killer set up the body be useful in this case? I mean, they could've done it at anytime during the nighttime period and it doesn't really help us to identify them, does it?

"Was anyone here awake when the new Monokuma rule was added to the list last night?" Ryoka surprised us by asking such an odd question.

With her spirits unwavering, Yevan raised her hand and spoke with a clear voice. "I was. It was around 11:30 pm last night when my ElectroiD buzzed with a new notification. When I went to check, it was about the new rule being added by Monokuma. At that time I didn't really think much of it and just ignored it... why do you ask?"

"Oh... I think that the reason Monokuma added the file was because that was when the killer was setting up the scene in the pantry,"

{=**_Class Trial (Odd Edition)_**=}

"W-what?! How can you know that?" Fujiwara looked as shocked as ever as he gave a huge gasp, almost knocking his glasses off the bridge of his nose.

"The reason is simple, really. It has to do with what the new rule states; **Rule 7: All items taken from the Storage and Supplies room must be returned even if broken. They are school property and failure to comply shall result in punishment.** Now given what we have so far, which item do you think belongs to the storage room that is considered _broken_?" Ryoka pauses for a moment to let this news sink in.

After a brief moment, Megumi spoke up from the silence. "It's the **Tarp with Tears**, right?"

"Yes, that is correct. If the killer had cleaned up Hibiki's body, changed her outfit, proceeded to apply glue to the noose and hung her from the ceiling, all they needed to do was get rid any remaining evidence which in this case, would be the torn tarp," Ryoka let her soothing voice fill the air as she presented her case with reason and logic.

"But the killer couldn't just throw it in the trash, right?" Kimiko asked from her end of the circle.

"Oh yeah, because Monokuma would punish them right then and there," Fujiwara nodded slightly in affirmation.

"But, how would the killer know of the rule of Monokuma just added it then?" Kotone wondered aloud.

"That's exactly the point I'm making. When the killer attempted to dispose of the torn tarp, Monokuma probably appeared before them and gave them a warning before proceeding to write up the new rule for all of our ElectroiDs. The same thing happened to us when we tried to break into the faculty room, so I figured that the killer probably had a similar encounter," once again Ryoka let her mind do the talking as she convinced the court of her theory.

"So then, that would make the time of the hanging to be somewhere around 11:30 pm last night, right?" I ask her to confirm again, just to make sure we were on the same page and she nods back at me.

"Are you really certain about that?"

* * *

**=ARGUMENT!=**

_"You should learn to keep an open mind!" **–Akio**_

* * *

"What... are you implying, Akio?" I only managed to mutter due to this sudden development in the trial.

"It's simply something that you overlooked, but I wouldn't think too much about it. You are after all, just a regular human being," His snide remarks stings a little bit but I'm not ready to back down just yet.

"If the body was hanged close to midnight, then why would the body temperature **still be warm** when we all discovered the body the next morning?" Without losing that smug grin of his, Akio kept on pelting me with his scornful words. {=**_Objection –CROSS SWORD-_**=}

* * *

**-REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN-**

_PROSECUTION: AKIO KOMIYA_

* * *

Truth Blades loaded:

**{Anatomy Chart|]==0**

**{Room Logs|]==0**

**{Marks on Door Handle|]==0**

**=_START_=**

_It's simply common sense..._

_...The Monokuma file had clearly stated..._

_...That Hibiki's body temperature was..._

_...Indicative of a time period before 7 am!_

_...So if the hanging took place before midnight..._

_...Then that would clearly mean that..._

_...The body would be freezing cold when we found it..._

_...Not to mention the Monokuma file would've been different!_

**[Total Swipes x 8]**

**=ADVANCE!=**

_"I don't disagree with that fact" **–Yuuta**_

_"But haven't we already discussed that the Monokuma file was full of deceptive information?" **–Yuuta **_

**=DEVELOPING CONVERSATION!=**

_I'm not arguing about that..._

_... Yes I know that the Monokuma file was designed that way..._

_...After all it was Monokuma's trick to try to steer the trial away..._

_...But nonetheless, do you see know?_

_...Why your theory is flawed?_

_...The killer had to have hung Hibiki's body..._

_...Sometime in the the early morning..._

_...Just moments before the first one of us entered the cafeteria..._

_...And hid somewhere else in the meantime._..

_...Otherwise, **There's no other way for the killer**..._

_...**To hang the body at night and still keep it warm**..._

**=COUNTER=**

_"Allow me to cut through those words!" _**–Yuuta** (Sliced: **{Marks on Door Handle|]==0**)

I seem to be getting used to the fast-paced mechanics of this 'Rebuttal Showdown' or whatever stupid name Monokuma gave it as I have less trouble focusing on swiping and defending myself between the lines. After a few good strikes to Akio's flawed statements, I manage to reach the final stage of this conversation and just as I spot the weak spot beginning to form on the screen itself, I strike it down with the only true Truth Blade.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K ! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial - Future Part [With Intro]_**=}

"No Akio, from what Kuno and I discovered in the scene of the crime, there's something else that could indicate that the killer used some sort of trick. It was these strange marks on the door handle on the inside of the pantry," I shrugged off an annoyed Akio as I focused my attention towards the truth bullets and pulled the right one out to the centre of the screen.

"That's right; the door handle was amongst the many things that I inspected in the room that actually had any significance to the case. You see, all these marks are long, narrow and straight, the kind you'd expect from something thin and durable being forced against the surface of the handle," Kuno said calmly as he began explaining his theory to the us. "My guess is... perhaps something like a thread?"

"What? What could possibly give you that idea? And a thread would definitely snap long before it could cause any sort of mark on the handle," Akio scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

"No, you're right. A thread would definitely not be durable enough. The friction against the surface would definitely cause it to snap with ease," Kuno rubbed his chin as his eyes looked upwards in deep though. A loud 'hmmm' emanated from him as he tried to concentrate on what could possibly cause those markings.

"Was there anything else you found in the pantry? Maybe it could help shed some light on the matter?" Kotone asked gently as she tried not to interrupt Kuno in his focused state.

"Oh, yes of course. When I discovered the second layer of shirt underneath the clean one Hibiki was wearing, I took a closer look at the rest of her attire to see if there were any other anomalies present. Not surprisingly, I did manage to find something else really tiny and obscure that if one were to glance by quickly, they'd never even see it," Kuno talked in a matter-of-factly kind of tone before going back to tapping on his screen.

**Puncture in Jeans** was the name of the Truth Bullet that came up and Kuno begin to explain further about this particular clue. "What I found was this really miniscule hole in the end of Hibiki's left pant leg. I wasn't too sure about this being a clue relevant to the investigation, I mean for all I know she might've gotten that hole in her jeans from before we all awoken here in this place. But since it was included in the list of Truth Bullets, I guess it's safe to say that this IS relevant to the case after all,"

"What the hell does that have to do with the murder?" Makoto arched an eyebrow at him and casted a look of disbelief.

"...I'm... not sure myself," For once, the mighty Kuno was actually stumped as he couldn't figure out the meaning behind the clue.

"Do you think there's some sort of connection between these two clues?" Fujiwara chimed in as he peered closely into his terminal screen.

"I think so, yes. But how exactly are they connected? A long thread-like material and a puncture hole that small... hmmm," Kuno closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his hand. All this thinking is probably giving him a headache or something.

After a moment of silence, a squeaky and high-pitched voice cut through the air. "Maybe it's a fishing line?" Kimiko raised her hand high above her head to gain everyone's attention.

"A... fishing line? What sort of fool do you take me for?" Yevan scowled as she folded her arms, clearly not giving Kimiko a chance since their last encounter.

"It's just in a detective manga I once read. The murder that happened was categorized under a 'Locked Room Murder' but it's actually just faked to look that way. The killer used a fishing line with one end tied into an object and the other was already hooked into the part of the victim's clothing and well... the story's different than this obviously but you can kinda see the idea, right?" Kimiko looked up expectantly to everyone else in the room but they're not buying her words for one moment.

"Of course, you read it from a manga. Why don't you just leave the discussion to the big boys huh?" Akio waved her off as if she were someone insignificant.

"Yeah dude, that seems a little bit far-fetched, don't you think?" Kenta shrugged his shoulders and offered an apologetic smile to Kimiko.

"A fishing line is definitely sturdy, though. But I can't say I've ever heard of this method before," Kuno scratched the back of his neck as he tried his best to wrap his head around the idea.

"But it's really famous! I mean the manga series have reused this method a couple of times already and I'm pretty sure it's not just limited to manga! I bet this trick has been used in a lot of movies and TV shows by now!" Kimiko tried her best to defend her theory despite the fact that everyone seemed completely against it. In fact, I have to admit that the idea does seem pretty ridiculous to me.

"It definitely seems like that's the most plausible explanation for now. A shorter length of the line would be strong enough to pull Hibiki's body into the warm area without snapping, all while she's still hung from the ceiling. Although, I'm not too sure about how common this method is as you're so fond of putting it," Ryoka begins to go through the possibility in her head but not without raising some suspicion onto Kimiko.

"I'm pretty sure no one else here other than you knows about this little trick of yours," Yevan narrowed her eyes at Kimiko who once again starts to look all flustered. "You know, for someone who claims to be innocent, you sure are drawing a lot of negative attention to yourself,"

Kimiko closes her eyes momentarily and sighs heavily. "Isn't that one of your hobbies too Yevan? Drawing negative attention to yourself, that is" Kimiko purses her lips as Yevan looks somewhat surprised by this new snarky attitude of hers.

"So you were indeed just faking being scared, am I right?" Yevan recovers from her shock and puts her hands on her hips in a confident manner.

Kimiko says nothing but just looks away. "Aren't we getting side-tracked here? We need to finish discussing about Hibiki's murderer,"

"Yuuta, you were the first one to discover the body, no?" Ryoka turned to face me and I simply nod in response. "When you opened the door, did you notice anything weird?" She asked me this with a straight face and now that I think about it, the pantry door did swing inwards awfully faster as if it was being pulled on the other side. When I mention this to Ryoka she simply smiled and nodded her head in admission.

"That would also explain why we saw the body still in momentum when we arrived at the scene of the crime. But... where is this fishing line now?" Ryoka looks into the crowd with a piercing gaze.

"What if the killer just threw it away?" Tetsu shrugged his shoulders and absent-mindedly concludes his opinion.

"Hey doofus, didn't you hear? Monokuma's rules clearly state that anything taken from the storage room must be returned, no matter what the condition it's in," Akio retorts insultingly.

"So, the killer was hiding amongst us and when we were busy looking at the body, that's when they cleared out the fishing line from the scene of the crime as a final act of disguising the murder as a suicide! Phew, that's cutting it a little close, don't you think?" Akiko raised her voice in high spirits as if we were talking about something casual.

"True, but if that is the case then it cannot be disputed that the murder occurred late last night, possibly around 10-ish and the cover up ended roughly around 11:30 with the introduction of a new Monokuma rule," Seijun dutifully recounts the events of this trial so far, in an effort to look more lawyer-esque.

"And the killer probably... slept on the floor? Oof, that's hardcore dude," Tetsu winces as he tries to imagine the hard floor against his back.

_A place where the killer could spend the night outside their room?_

_I feel like someone had shown me something like that before..._

_In a place designed for relaxing, no doubt..._

"I've got it!" Without a moment's hesitation, I pull out the Truth bullet labeled **Fujiwara's Account** onto the screen. "This morning during the investigation, Fujiwara told me that the couch had sagged overnight and had drastically dropped in quality and softness compared to the previous night. Knowing that the sofa here is easily accessible in the lounge area of the dorms, the killer probably took refuge here during the night after everything had been taken care of,"

"Yeap, that's right. The couch definitely was not as comfortable as it was last night. Trust me, I spent my whole evening after dinner there trying to beat this person's high score on the rabbit arcade machine. Boy, I have to admit that that was the hardest one amongst all of the games there. I spent so much time on the machine I could literally use the **lounge door's glass window** as a mirror," Fujiwara smiled brightly as he spoke but...

"...Could you repeat the last part?" Seijun looked pale all of a sudden as his voice shook with uncertainty. Kuno and Ryoka shared the same expression even though I don't really get what's going on at the moment. Looking at everyone else, I see that I too am not alone in this as they share confused looks with each other.

In an instant, Fujiwara's bright smile vanished as he realized his mistake. He looked down in an attempt to avoid looking at the inquisitive looks on their faces but was quickly brought back up when Seijun barked his orders once more loudly.

With a voice almost as quiet as a whisper, Fujiwara opened his mouth to let the words escape his lips. "... I said, I could literally use the _lounge door's glass window_ as a mirror,"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SPEAK UP SOONER YOU BASTARD!" All of a sudden, Tsubasa roared from his platform and he looked like he was about ready to strangle Fujiwara with his two bare hands.

"... You saw it, didn't you?" Ryoka managed a whisper as she brought her hands towards her mouth in a pained expression. "You saw who murdered Hibiki, didn't you?!"

The courtroom almost exploded with cries and gasps of the remaining students as this revelation came into light. Of course! How did I forget the fact that Fujiwara himself was in the lounge room all night long. He specifically told me about it when he bored me to tears with his lecture on springs, back during the investigation period. The fact that the lounge door's window and the storage room's window clearly parallel each other do not help but paint Fujiwara in a guilty light.

"D-dude! Are you serious?!" Kenta looked like he's about ready to cry.

"Why did you keep quiet all this while?! You could've saved us all a lot of trouble!" Kimiko practically screamed at him even though they were quite close in position at the circle.

All the accusing looks and yelling did nothing to shake Fujiwara's strong resolve. He did however let one thing slip. "...Because I was trying to protect her,"

"GODDAMMIT WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PROTECT THE MURDERER? ARE YOU IN ON IT WITH THEM?!" Tsubasa shouted accusingly at Fujiwara but he simply just looked away.

"Upupupu! My, my things are definitely getting hot in here aren't they?" Monokuma tried to speak but was rudely interrupted.

"Shut it, you mechanical brat! I'm trying to catch the killer here!" Tsubasa didn't even bother to look at Monokuma and just waved his hand in his general direction dismissively.

"Wow, you kids need to learn some manners... And I was just about to divulge some juicy information too, you know," Monokuma feign disappointment and turned his back on us when Ryoka spoke out in the midst of the chaos. "Are you going to tell us the killer's identity? Tell us, now!"

"Upupupu... I can't do that, my sweet little angels. I have to give the blackened a fair chance to escape the trial, you know. Fairness and equality, after all. Nyahahahaha! But I will tell you this... Accomplices are allowed but only the one who struck the killing blow is allowed to graduate. The accomplice would be punished just like everyone else. Take that however you like it, kids," Monokuma cheerfully preaches to us about fairness while swaying sideways as if dancing to some unheard music.

"So, what you're saying is there really is no point in being an accomplice. But you're telling us this now AFTER the first murder had already occurred! Fujiwara would never have known this rule in the previous night," Akiko tried her best to negotiate with Monokuma but he just rolled his eyes.

"Hold it right there, you little punks. I never said that this case had an accomplice... Oops! I've just said too much! Oh no! Whatever shall I do? Woe is me," Monokuma pretends to have slipped up and given us a huge clue, all by whining and crying crocodile tears.

"Just forget him... Fujiwara... why are you trying to protect the killer? Don't you realize that you too will be executed if you let her escape?" Ryoka turns her attention back towards Fujiwara, who looks as solid and resolute as ever.

"It's not the killer I'm trying to protect... It's Hibiki," As the last of his words left his mouth, the court grows with even more distress.

"Wh-whadaya mean protect Hibiki?" Kimiko piped up in a frantic effort to get him to talk.

"Just as I said, I was trying to protect Hibiki," Fujiwara was adamant in his answer and refused to say anything else.

_Fujiwara is trying to protect Hibiki by staying quiet?!_

_What kind of protection is that? _

_What need could someone who's already dead need protection from?_

{=**_Discussion -HOPE VS DESPAIR-_**=}

* * *

**-MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT-**

=Nonstop Debate=

* * *

Truth Bullets loaded:

**(|Neck Wound|]**

**(|Fujiwara's Account|]**

**(|Sticky Substance|]**

**(|Anatomy Chart|]**

**(|Monokuma File #1|]**

**=_START_=**

_"Fujiwara..." **–Ryoka**_

_"Why did you keep quiet this whole time?" **–Ryoka**_

_"**...**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"You little piece of shit!" **–Tsubasa**_

_"My sister is already dead!" **–Tsubasa**_

_"You couldn't protect her when she was alive," **–Tsubasa **_

_"You're just useless, you know that!" **–Tsubasa**_

_"**...**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"Why Fujiwara?!" **–Kimiko**_

_"Do you WANT her killer to walk free?!" **–Kimiko**_

_"**…**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"Aaaaahhhh! Fujiwara's the killer?!" **–Akiko**_

_"No way man! How can Fujiwara be the killer?" **–Tetsu**_

_"Are you two always this denst?" **–Akio**_

_"**…**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"You, memorizer, I command you to speak this instant!" **–Yevan**_

_"Maybe a little pounding will make him squeal like a pig," **–Makoto**_

_"**…**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"Perhaps... Fujiwara is trying to protect," **–Megumi**_

_"Something more abstract than physical?" **–Megumi**_

_"**...**" **–Fujiwara**_

_"Something abstract? Now you're the one being ridiculous," **–Seijun**_

_"Maybe... the killer is actually the victim?" **–Megumi**_

_"That's quite a mind you've got there," **–Kuno**_

_"Are you two serious? Hibiki is obviously the victim here," **–Seijun**_

_"She was killed in cold blood when she was reaching for the supplies," **–Seijun**_

_"**WHY ELSE** would Hibiki be in the storage room?" **–Seijun**_

**=COUNTER=**

"_You've got that wrong!_" **–Yuuta **(Fired: **(|Anatomy Chart|]**)

Almost as if guided by an unknown force, the gears begin to click in my head and drove my mind into overdrive. A suicide note placed elegantly on Hibiki's desk in plain sight... I had a weird feeling about that anatomy chart when I first saw it, but perhaps the dread from Akiko's repeated announcement of a suicide note had overshadowed my gut instincts. Of course, given her sudden change in attitude these past few days, not to mention her outburst in the storage room earlier yesterday, coupled by all the taunting and leg-pulling made by Monokuma... it had all lead up to this very moment in a class trial that was definitely meant for an entirely different person in the first place.

* * *

**_B.R.E.A.K_**** _! ! !_**

* * *

{=**_Class Trial (Solar Edition)_**=}

"Fujiwara..." My voice was soft and fragile, as if even the smallest disturbance could cause my volume to drop to zero. As much as it pains me to say it... I have no choice but to bring this up, lest we all be executed by Monokuma's twisted punishments. "You weren't trying to protect Hibiki in the sense that you could've saved her," at this point, Fujiwara lifted his face to meet mine as he realized that I had already arrived at the conclusion that he could no longer hide from. "You were trying to protect Hibiki's innocence, weren't you?"

"Innocence...? What the hell are you droning on about?" Makoto raised her voice in impatience as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"...Yes..." came the meek reply from Fujiwara.

"Well, are you going to explain it to us or what?" Tsubasa demanded in a tone of fury mixed with dread.

Pausing briefly, I look around the room before landing onto the portrait of the SHSL hairdresser. A beautiful smile had been plastered on her face in the black and white funeral photo to accentuate her innocent features. Innocence that I am about to destroy...

"Fujiwara tried to hide the fact... that Hibiki was planning to kill someone last night,"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU ASSHOLE!" as if on cue, Tsubasa leaned over in my direction and tried to swipe at me in frustration. The only thing stopping him is the strongly built wooden railing that seemed quite resilient from all the abuse it's been getting tonight. "MY SISTER WAS NOT A KILLER!"

"Shame on you Yuuta! That is a serious accusation!" Kotone edged away from me as she bumped her back against her side of the rails.

"Are you serious?! She was going to kill...?" Kenta looked visibly disturbed as his frown grew even more intense.

As if we weren't done with our previous twist of the day, the court room was now almost as loud as a market with loud bickering, whispers and shouts being passed around in a never-ending cycle.

"Everyone please settle down," Ryoka calmly instructed the court, much to my surprise. I'd expected her to be just as rattled as the others.

"Ryoka? Why are you so calm about this? Are you not perplexed by Yuuta's claims?" Seijun blinked at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Clearly he was expecting much more of a reaction than this.

"No, not really. You see, I realized that this might be the case as soon Monokuma started explaining about the **Anatomy Chart **a while ago," she spoke in a calm and collected voice that took everyone by surprised.

"I arrived at the same conclusion too, though I didn't want to say anything about it yet since we were already discussing another matter at the time. Besides, I didn't think it would be wise to raise this issue as it is quite the sensitive topic," Kuno spoke as he adjusted his jacket, talking like this is a casual matter.

"What makes you say something like that?!" Kimiko yelped as her eyes started to get watery. She was trying very hard not to believe the fact that the very person she was so adamant on protecting turned out to be plotting a murder.

"You out of everyone here should know why..." I bit my lower lip as I thought back to the little time Hibiki and I actually had any interaction. She was clearly very vulnerable at the time and who knows what other nonsense Monokuma managed to infect her head with.

"My sister... was going to kill someone?" Tsubasa was slack-jawed as he stood there gasping with eyes wide open. It was painful to watch his reaction at finding out his very own flesh and blood would so easily succumb to the temptations of graduating from Monokuma's Hope's Peak. It was... _despair_.

"The sweet little girl turned out to be a cold-hearted murderer..." Akiko mumbled to herself as she brought a hand to cover her mouth.

"But the one thing I hadn't counted on was the fact that there was a witness to the murder last night," Kuno began speaking again once the realization that Hibiki was planning a murder started to settle in with everyone. "What could possibly have happened to cause such a drastic turn of events? Could the killer manage to overpower Hibiki and used her own weapon against her?" He turned to face Fujiwara who gulped in response. "If only someone had the answer to that..."

"I... I was going to speak up eventually," Fujiwara looked down at his feet in order to avoid looking at the burning stares that everyone had planted on him. "At first, I was going to keep quiet. I thought that Monokuma was just going to release them and we could just end it with that... but no, there had to be a trial eventually or else we would lose our lives. I figured... maybe we could cruise past this without ever having to reveal Hibiki's intentions from last night... but I guess I was wrong,"

"You... were going to let my sister's killer walk away?" Tsubasa tapped his fingers on the rails as his body shook from the pent up anger. He was trying his best not to walk over to Fujiwara and knocking his lights out. No, he was probably saving that for the killer.

"It's better than being remembered as a murderer!" Fujiwara wails as he looked away from Tsubasa.

"What kind of logic is that?!" Kimiko raised her hands up in a questioning manner as she shouts back at Fujiwara.

"Fujiwara... I know how you feel about this... but please, our lives are at stake here," Kotone tried her best motherly voice she could muster. "Who was it that you saw yesterday...?"

"...It's in the room logs," was all that came out from Fujiwara's mouth.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! YOU'RE GONNA GET US ALL KILLED!" Tsubasa yelled and slammed the rails again, releasing his pent up anger.

"... I'm not going to condemn anyone. The answer is it the logs. If the killer was out the whole time then they wouldn't have known when was the perfect time to go back to their rooms without looking too suspicious," Fujiwara ended his discussion with an extra task for all of us.

"When we get out of here, you and I are going to have a little talk," Yevan looked at him in disgust before pulling out the **Room Logs** Truth Bullet.

* * *

**Yuuta: 7:17**

**Kuno: 7:22**

**Kenta: 7:23**

**Akio: 7:22**

**Seijun: 7:22**

**Tsubasa: 7:25**

**Fujiwara: 7:25**

**Tetsu: 7:22**

**Ryoka: 7:23**

**Akiko: 7:23**

**Hibiki: 6:49**

**Yevan: 7:14**

**Makoto: 7:15**

**Kotone: 7:23**

**Kimiko: 7:24**

**Megumi: 7:20**

* * *

I tried as hard as my brain could function... but I just could not see anything out of the ordinary here. A few looks of disdain and contempt were aimed at Fujiwara for the added hurdle along the trial but everyone was too busy finding the contradiction to say anything about him.

I was just about to give up when suddenly a gasp is heard in the corner directly opposite of mine. "Oh...! I see..." Megumi bobbed her head up and down in apprehension as the clue made itself apparent to her somehow.

"What is it? Did you figure out who it is?" I asked instinctively as the others shared a quiet round of whispers amongst themselves.

"It was... someone who was with us." She paused. "Someone who, before the body discovery announcement went off, had already been outside of their room despite the fact that... their log entry says they should still be in their room..." as soon as she finished, a rush of murmurs echoed throughout the hall as eyes darted around suspiciously, full of distrust and paranoia.

_Someone who was with us...?_

_Before the body discovery announcement...?_

_Oh... oh my god..._

_I know who it is._

{=**_Tropical Despair_**=}

* * *

**MAKE AN ACCUSATION!**

* * *

Yuuta Hirota

Kotone Oshiro

Tsubasa Yukata

Hibiki Yukata

Seijun Higashi

Akiko Takumi

Makoto Shirogane

Megumi Tsuji

**{ Kenta Shintaka }**

Kimiko Sanazawa

Yên-Vân Lý

Akio Komiya

Fujiwara Taiki

Kuno Okura

Tetsu Mastada

Ryoka Nakami

_"It could only have been you!" **-Yuuta**_

* * *

"Kenta... The body discovery announcement was played at 7:22 am and you were with us at that time before the announcement was played. At that time, only Makoto and I had gone into the pantry to look at the body since Yevan had issues with it and took off without even checking. It wasn't until Megumi, who came into the cafeteria with you, stepped into the pantry that the third person slot was filled and thus, the body discovery announcement played then," the look on Kenta's face... I couldn't tell if it was genuine shock because he had been found out or he felt cornered... maybe both. "But your room log states that your one and only swipe of the day was at 7:23 am; one minute later than when we actually saw you in the cafeteria,"

"Is... is this true? Did you kill Hibiki?!" Kimiko cried out in shock as she pointed at Kenta with a shaky finger.

"I shoulda known it was a brute like you who killed my sister... Monokuma, I think it's time to vote," Tsubasa quietly mutters under his breath.

"W-W-WAIT GUYS! IT WASN'T ME!" Kenta screamed as tears started falling down his cheeks, leaving a trail that glistened in the light unlike the dry areas of his skin. "YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG! I'M NOT A KILLER!"

As I stayed on this train of thought, I began to realize another obvious clue that I had dismissed previously... because of how kind he was to me. "Kenta... when you were at the pantry last night around 10 something... there was only 1 light bulb that lit up when you entered. The sensors in the pantry only picked up 1 body with signs of life, which is yours. Tell me, Kenta. The reason you entered the pantry that night was more than just 'a bag of chips', right?" The fact that I just remembered this now makes the whole situation even more painful...

"Oh damn! I remember that! Shit, it totally slipped by me!" Makoto facepalmed herself so hard it left a red mark on her forehead.

"With muscles like that... he could easily have carried the body and all the equipment needed in 1 trip," Ryoka spoke quietly as she kept her gaze down on the floor.

"NO WAY DUDE! I WAS TOTALLY THERE BY COINCIDENCE! PLEASE, YA GOTTA BELIEVE ME MAN! I DIDN'T KILL HER!" by now Kenta was shaking terribly as he was slowly breaking down into a sobbing mess. Dammit, why did it have to be Kenta?!

"Plus... the killer was in fact prudish enough to not look under or remove Hibiki's clothing completely. Does that sound familiar?" Kuno recalled his analysis from earlier and added fuel to the fire.

"Oh! I remember... back at the garden area! You did say that you weren't that kind of man when I told you not to look up my skirt!" Kotone covered her mouth with both hands as more and more evidence seemed to point towards Kenta being the culprit.

"T-THAT'S STUPID! I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO RESPECTS A WOMAN'S PRIVACY! YOU CAN'T BLAME THAT ON ME, THAT'S A RESPECTABLE CHARACTER TRAIT!" Kenta wails as he shakes his head vigorously.

"It's not just that Kenta... there's also the fact that... remember when you first saw the body? At first I thought it was just your reaction to finding the body but... you actually stumbled backwards into the door on purpose, didn't you Kenta? That was your trick to retrieve the fishing line which you tied and hooked onto the door handle and Hibiki's pant leg," Megumi looked up to the sniveling Kenta with a look of pity on her face and that was somehow enough to stop his miserable state, if only for a few seconds.

"I... Didn't... kill..." Kenta's sobs and wails are reduced to nothing more but a quiet whimper.

"Kenta...?" It was torture watching him in this broken state. The happy-go-lucky guy I first met in the gym who was laughing and making all those childish jokes is gone. All that's left as a guilt-ridden husk of the person he once was.

"I didn't even know she was going to kill me..." Kenta had dropped his head to face the floor so I couldn't see what his reaction was but... it seems to me that Kenta was, smiling?

"Oh, so you finally admit it, huh?" Tsubasa crossed his arms and leaned back against the rails, dropping his guard since he could finally breathe easily for once, knowing that he'd caught the killer.

{=**_All All Apologies_**=}

"I'm sorry..." Kenta's head was still down. "I didn't mean to..."

"But why Kenta...? Why didn't you just tell us?" Kimiko's voice could be heard in between sobs as she tried to control herself from crying.

"Because it was all just a big, big misunderstanding," finally, Fujiwara fixed his glasses on his face as he spoke up through the sad atmosphere. "It's true; Kenta didn't even know that Hibiki was going to kill him when she called him into the storage room for help. He thought he was just doing his friend a favor and so he gladly went along,"

"And you did nothing to stop it!" Yevan smacked her fist into her other hand's open palm in a threatening manner.

"No. I did. After I glanced up occasionally from the game I was playing, I saw Hibiki's true colours. She had the scissors in her hands raised high above her head as she stood behind Kenta who was on his tip toes trying to reach the hairdryer box. When I saw that, I thought I needed to intervene but... I didn't need to," Fujiwara spoke in a spiritless voice as he forced himself to finish the story.

"It seems that fate itself had intervened and caused Hibiki to have a change of heart. I guess in that split second before striking Kenta down, she must've had an epiphany... that this wasn't the way she needed to do things around here. So she dropped her killing hand down... and..."

Of course... the pieces are finally starting to fall into place when I remembered something Tsubasa showed me. "... she rested it under her chin... It was in **Tsubasa's Account **when he shared it with me in the cafeteria... The Yukata twins both held their hands under their chins whenever they were distressed or had second thoughts..." what Fujiwara said about this all being just a huge misunderstanding... I think I know what happens next.

"Yeah... she still had the scissors in her hands because, well... who could've predicted what was coming? I was about to leave the game and head over to where they were in the room next door when..." Fujiwara bit his lip as he hesitated to continue on what happens next.

"Hey man... you can't just stall in the middle of a story," Tetsu spoke with a raspy voice.

"Please... tell us what happened," Kotone managed a meek whimper as she tried to nudge Fujiwara on.

But it was not Fujiwara who spoke. "... When the box slipped out of my hands. I tried to catch it... so I shot my arm out in a desperate attempt to grab onto it before it could hit the ground but... I..." Kenta's voice was cracking as he tried to describe the tragic events that happened in the storage room last night by himself. "... I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS STANDING SO CLOSE BEHIND ME!" He mustered the remainder of his strength in order to yell out what was so difficult for him to say.

"...And that's when you accidentally drove her head into the scissors, right?" Megumi tried her best to keep her voice restrained but I could hear the inflections fluctuating more rapidly as she was on the verge of tears herself.

Kenta nodded as he kept his head down low once again. This time, I noticed a glint falling down from his head and watered his platform with a bouncing splash. "I didn't mean to..."

"I'm so sorry..."

"...Sorry..."

At this point, if I kept looking at Kenta, I felt like even my own tears would start to fall... so I looked away and abandoned him to cry alone. I'm sorry too, Kenta...

"So... this was all just an accident?" Kimiko's sobs had finally died down and her voice was slowly getting steady again.

"...Are you saying... that I shouldn't blame anyone?" Tsubasa spoke in a cold and calculative way, almost menacing in nature. "No way in hell am I letting that happen!" His voice picked up in volume and rage once again.

"...H-huh?!" Kenta stammered through a quivering mouth, his eyes red and cheeks puffy from shedding all those tears.

"Who the hell am I supposed to blame for this? My sister is dead, alright! You heard Monokuma's rules... an accidental murder is still a murder, buddy. It's time to vote," Tsubasa muttered the last part darkly and I couldn't help but feel a little bit scared. Sure, indirectly Kenta may have caused Hibiki's death but he's much as a victim in this. I'm not sure if I can go through with the voting process if this is the case.

"B-but! Surely there must be some other way than this!" Kotone cried out as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Monokuma suddenly sat upright in a formal pose on his throne. "Upupupu, you heard the man. It's in the rules bub, an accidental murder is still a murder and whoever commited the crime MUST pay, upupupu! Oooh boy so we're finally gonna get to our first execution, huh? Boy am I excited! I just can't wait to see what this next part has install for us!"

"W-wait a second! Please!" Kenta begins wailing again as he drops to his knees, begging.

"Monokuma, your job as headmaster is to care for your students' wellbeing right? This is not fair treatment to your student who clearly did not mean for the tragic death of Hibiki to happen!" Ryoka tried her best to reason with Monokuma but just like Tsubasa, he seem eager to pin the blame on somebody.

"My, my, why are you getting all defensive all of a sudden? It's not like he cared for any of you at all anyways. I mean, it's not like he came forward when I announced that should you fail to weed out the true culprit, then all of you shall punished in his stead," Monokuma eerily preaches to us in his twisted way for justifying his choice to punish Kenta.

"I... that's not true! I..." Kenta mumbles as all colour drains from his face. He shifts to look between us and Monokuma in a frightened manner, like a deer caught in headlights. Although in his case, a deer caught between two oncoming cars.

"Nope, no no no no! Don't start that with me. In fact, from a recent chat I had with him last night... I found out that he was very very desperate to reach the outside world! He was so desperate, that he admitted he would actually kill just so he could graduate from Hope's Peak Academy! Ahhhhh don't you just love that fresh school spirit?" Monokuma leaned back further in his seat as he let his words get into our heads and watch as it slowly did its magic.

"You fucking liar! You deserve to burn in hell for what you did! Monokuma, start the voting process now!" Without even thinking about it, Tsubasa let his rage consume him as he gave in to his primal feelings of revenge.

"Wiiiiiiiiiiith pleasure!" Monokuma flipped a switch on his control panel and the giant screen behind him now displayed a video showing a regular-looking slot machine found in casinos... only this one had our faces on it. "Now, everyone press the image of the person you think is guilty on your terminal screen. Here's hoping we hit the jackpot!"

"N-no... please...!"

_The slot reels spun round and around as our faces disappeared into a blur of images that seemed to melt together._

"Y-you don't understand!"

_The reels hit its peak velocity and momentum as the blurs are literally just a blend of colours by now._

"That's not why I said that, please!"

_Soon, the reels slowed down gradually as we begin to be able to recognize faces again._

"I'M SORRY!"

_And just like that, the three slot reels slowed down to a complete stop... to reveal Kenta Shintaka's grinning face._

"Upupupu... well, well, well. Looks like you little punks are... CORRECT! Nyahahahaha! But it's kinda obvious by now though, so I might as well just commence with the punishment already, upupupu..."

* * *

**GAME OVER!**

**Kenta Shintaka has been found guilty. Now commencing Execution.**

* * *

_ "N-no! Please!"_

_Just as the gavel had been slammed down, the door on the southern wall suddenly sprung open to reveal a dark and ominous corridor. Monokuma gave us the ok word to step off out platform but only Kenta still remained on his, kneeling for his very life._

_"Please! I have a sister too, Tsubasa! You know what it's like right? To want to protect your little sister?"_

_"You robbed me of mine... don't you dare think you can talk to me of how it feels,"_

_All of us had stayed relatively close to where our platform names were written and we stood there silently peering into the dark abyss known as the punishment room, awaiting whatever ugly thing to rear its head through the doorway when suddenly... a large cuff-like device popped into the picture with its mouths wide open, ready to clamp down on the intended victim. A large chain propelled it throughout the courtroom floor as it seemed to snake around the circular platforms all the way to Kenta's legs._

_"AYAKO!"_

_As the large restraint clamped down on both his feet, Kenta made a desperate wave with his arm to grasp whatever was in his reach... and that happened to be the leg of the person who was standing next to him during the trial. As the chain pulled back harshly and yanked Kenta across the floor, so too did Megumi as she flew across the room along with him._

_"KENTA! L-LET GO!"_

_"PLEASE! I'M SORRY!"_

_I tried to rush over to them amidst the sea of cries and gasps but I was too slow. The motor that operated the chain had dragged them both across the floor and into the doorway of the punishment room must be industrial grade because in a matter of seconds, they were meters away from me._

_"MONOKUMA! DO SOMETHING!" I shouted as loud as I could, panicking over the loss of yet another innocent victim._

_"Upupu... hold your horses there bub. I've got time this juuuuuuust right... 3... 2... Now!" Monokuma slammed his paws down on the control panel and a grate had appeared just above the the punishment room door. Just as Kenta had passed through the doorway and into the room, the grate slammed down in great speed, leaving just enough space for Megumi's body not to get crushed. The grate was of a regular hollow checkered design and Megumi's legs caught in between them, causing Kenta to lose his grip on her. The sudden loss of inertia cause Megumi's body to launch forward and she smacked head-first into the solid steel of the heavy grating._

_In a rush, Kuno, Kotone and I arrived to where Megumi was knocked unconscious just as a video played on the large screen behind Monokuma._

{=**_Thousand Knocks_**=}

_It showed Kenta arriving in a dimly-lit room with just a single spotlight shining on where he currently was. The clamp was removed from his legs as it deactivated like a spring. A piece of paper then appeared to drop out of the sky from nowhere and just as Kenta grabbed it to read its contents, the camera zoomed in at the same time he did and we could clearly read out what seemed to be instructions of some sort._

_"Your objective is to take out as many training dummies as you can before they overpower you. Simple as that, oh and ps: don't let them surround you, or things could get ugly..."_

_From the screen, we could see Kenta frantically running around stumbling in the dark searching desperately for an exit but to no avail. This continued for a few seconds before the screen cut to a title card depicting a training dummy clad in a Bruce Lee-like attire, with the words:_

**_MAN VS MACHINE: THE ULTIMATE BATTLE_**

_All of a sudden, another spotlight lit up and more and more followed suit, revealing tens... or maybe hundreds of mechanical training dummies shaped like Monokuma lined in rows surrounding Kenta. At first, nothing happened but then one of them suddenly lit up and activated itself, its eyes a menacing red glow. It immediately rushed towards Kenta but he took it down in a single blow through reflex as he flinched and struck in self defense._

_Seeing how easy the Monokuma training dummy went down, Kenta actually had a smile on his face for the first time since his sobbing episode. One by one, the Monokuma dummies activated and went after Kenta but true to his title as the SHSL Martial Artist, Kenta swiftly and deftly took down the dummies just as fast as they could get the jump on him._

_For a moment, it looked like Kenta was winning and I gave an excited cry to support him... but... Monokuma just loves his mind games. As the crowd of Monokuma dummies diminished wave by wave, Kenta looked around in an adrenaline-filled resolve. Just as he spotted the next dummy, Kenta launched himself at it with full speed ahead, rolling his fists into a ball, ready to strike with blinding speed._

_Only, the dummy wasn't a Monokuma dummy like the rest. Just inches away from it, the view of the dummy got clearer and it was obvious who this dummy was supposed to represent. The luscious brown wig that adorn the dummy's head along with the innocent smile that accompanied the person's picture which was crudely stapled on no doubt bore a striking resemblance to our very own Hibiki Yukata. But Kenta was too late in realizing this and his punch went through with full force._

_The next thing I saw that was played on the screen was the Hibiki dummy's head rolling on the floor, still smiling that innocent smile. That broke Kenta as he dropped to his knees and started to cradle the dummy's head. Tears had begun to form on his cheeks once more as they stained the ground he was kneeling on. Even though there was no audio coming from him from within the speakers, I could tell that he was mouthing the word sorry over and over again. Chanting it like a mantra as the remaining Monokuma dummies slowly crept up behind him._

_He didn't even bother to look over his shoulder to know their presence as their shadows loomed far past his kneeling body. The next thing I knew, the Monokuma dummies began their unrelenting torrent of steel mechanical punches that surrounded every inch of the surface of his body. The punches grew more and more in momentum and intensity and even though Kenta's body was obscured by the mob of robots surrounding him, I could tell that he was being beat up severely from all the blood that managed to ease its way between the gaps of the never-ending robotic arms._

_This kept going on and on until suddenly the robots simultaneously dropped dead to the ground, motionless. What awaited was a sight no man should ever had to see in their lifetime. There was no resemblance to the tall muscular guy I once knew as this... thing in front of me lay broken, slathered with a grotesque layer of blood. Everything was red, his skin, clothes, hair... even the pieces of bone that were broken and bent out of his flesh were stained a bright red. The worst part of it was his face. If his mangled body was difficult enough to watch with bent body parts and bones sticking out where it shouldn't, then his face has lost all definition. 2 eyes, 1 nose and 1 mouth make a face, but Kenta doesn't even have that any more. Whatever was left was just a disturbing pile of flesh and open tissues. Through the pile of oozing flesh, I spot a few teeth and possibly... what looks to be the remains of an eyeball?!_

_As I turn my attention away from the his face, I notice why he didn't try to shield his face with his hands. It was still cradling Hibiki's head; completely unharmed, drenched in blood, still smiling._

_That was the end of the SHSL Martial Artist._

* * *

**Class Trial End!**

* * *

**a/n: Congratulations to Rinjai and ShadedLyht(quite ironic, since Hibiki belonged to them :P) for figuring out the identity of the killer well before this chapter even had a chance to write itself! Of course, more credit goes to ShadedLyht because they actually managed to figure out the identity of the killer all they way back in the investigations chapter. And it's a sad turn of events for our favorite muscle-bound martial artist Kenta Shintaka (who belongs to Shyjoker) who just so happened to be the victim of Valde Sorte, terrible luck in a more universal language, kudos to whoever actually managed to get that poem since it pretty much foreshadows Hibiki's true intentions in this chapter. Fret not, dear owners who got their characters killed of this early. The next chapter will have a pleasant surprise for you, and others of course. Fairness and equality, after all. :)**


	8. Ch 1: Epilogue 1-1

**a/n: Alright, first off I want to apologize today for not writing as much as I usually do since I'm really busy with college and whatnot here. ** (I'm guessing that for most of you it's the summer holidays? If so, woohoo! Have fun y'all! But unfortunately for me, summer doesn't exist in my country *sigh* so no summer breaks and instead just mid-terms) **Anyways, I know I promised more for the deceased characters in the story and I still do! I'm not breaking my promise just yet! But I just have to split up the chapter into two-parts because I want to post what I managed to finish up today since its Sunday and all.**

**But fret not! Just because I haven't gotten the story portion written out for those who have left us, that doesn't mean that you won't be getting anything from the visual side! I've got great news to announce thanks to GinMerric, who's steadily becoming this SYOC's residential artist :P, who has just learned how to make sprite edits for all of the characters in TCoHaTSoD. Now before we get ahead of ourselves, I want to point out that he also has his own stories to write and we just explored this idea around the middle of the week, which gave him very little time to prepare when I asked him to do the art so please be a little patient and I promise you will all get your characters drawn out for you in due time.**

**In the meantime however, GinMerric has only managed to finish a proper title card for Hibiki Yukata, which I'll just leave as a link on my profile, and up next is Kenta Shintaka (sorry for the wait shyjoker uwu)**

**Also, there's a lot I want to discuss at the bottom, but without further adieu, I present to you the long-awaited update!**

* * *

{=**_Tropical Despair_**=}

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" A high-pitched scream rang throughout the halls of the trial room and if I hadn't known better, I would've thought the source might've came from one of the more vulnerable-looking members of our group. This scream though, had come from none other than the SHSL Escrimador, Yevan. Her once reckless and confident demeanor now reduced to a cowering pile

"Oh, right. I forgot she had a thing against bodies and stuff," Makoto frowned as sweat rolled down her forehead. Hey eyes were still locked onto the screen which was just a blank monitor by now, fortunately.

"Monokuma… this is… too cruel!" Kotone whimpered as she cradled Megumi's unconscious head on her laps. Tears were starting to form on her eyes as she averted her gaze from the screen even though there was nothing currently being displayed.

"Hmmm? Too... cruel?" Monokuma tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean too... cruel?"

"You straight up pulverized him! Th- that's insane!" Tetsu's voice echoed loudly through the air after he managed to regain his composure. The colour that had previously drained from his face had once again returned to its original tan.

"That is violence beyond measure! I don't approve of murdering your classmates but even Kenta did not deserve such an unjust fate!" Seijun's eye was still wide in shock as he was reeling back from the horror of watching one of his own get brutally beaten to death.

_Even I can't really process what I had just seen on the screen._

_Everything was so... graphic..._

"You alright there, Yuuta?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked to my right, I saw that the hand belonged to Kuno. He was kneeling down beside me and probably noticed the shaken look on my face when he decided to reach out. A gentle smile had formed on his face as usual as he seemed particularly unfazed by Kenta's death.

"U-uh yeah... I just. I never saw someone die before," I blinked at an uneven pace as I tried to bury the image of our former classmate's broken body. "You're not scared?"

Kuno stayed silent for a moment and his smile vanished momentarily. "Occupational hazard. I think I'm a tad bit desensitized to these kinds of things by now," his chipper reply brought back the smile on his face as he ushered Kotone and I to take a couple of steps back. Leaning down, he took little effort into carrying Megumi's small frame.

"Hope you don't mind if I steal your gal for a bit?" He winked at me before proceeding to head back to the centre of the trial room.

I gave him a slight nod as Kotone and I trailed behind him, gradually entering a mob of outraged students shouting at Monokuma. The reality of our situation has become distinctively clearer now that the trial has officially come to a close. I'm afraid however, that this may only be our first trial during our stay at Hope's Peak Academy.

"You can't just kill people like that! The police are going to get you for this!" Kimiko had a relieved look on her face despite her argument; she was probably just glad that in the end, the status of 'number 1 suspect' had been thrown off her back.

"Police?" Monokuma gave a mechanical whir for a moment before jumping down from his high seat upon the throne to join us. "My, my. I feel like we're dealing with a broken record here. Didn't I already tell you dear, that no one is going to rescue you," he paused for a moment for dramatic effect but instead of instilling more fear in our hearts, it just served to annoy us further. "Everyone is dead anyways,"

"WHAT?!" Yevan launched up from her spot on the ground where she had previously curled up into a ball. Her face was stricken with pure horror and disbelief at the mention of those words. "H-how could that be?! You're lying!"

It was as if the words had floated right past me as I blinked my eyes rapidly in confusion. A wave of gasps and yelps assisted in painting out the picture of the utter madness of Monokuma's words. He couldn't be telling the truth, could he? I mean... how could something like that even happen in the first place? Monokuma simply stared at the group of teenagers in front of him blankly, as if he was trying to find the right response to the chaos that he has triggered.

"Upupupu... yes, of course. That's not right, most definitely. There's no way that everyone's dead, since you're all here after all," Monokuma chuckled lightly into his paws in an attempt to unnerve us.

"What does that even mean? Was that a dad-joke or something? It's not very funny, you know," Akiko raised an eyebrow as she misses the point entirely. Akio turned to look at her, almost appalled by her reaction. "Are you seriously not even concerned about the main topic at hand?" Akio tried to reason with her but the blank look on her face told him everything he needed to hear already.

"Monokuma! Please tell me you're lying!" Kotone voiced out her opinion in a dreary voice. With her hands covering her mouth, she mustered all her strength to form her words. "This... this is all just some trick to make our lives here more miserable, right?"

"Trick? Now why would I do that? As your headmaster, I can only serve my students with the best guidance that I can give out. Truly, from the bottom of my heart I only wish for nothing but your surviva-" before our 'headmaster' can finish his little speech however, an angry female voice had cut through the large hall and interrupted him.

"Now hold on for a minute here. Don't tell me you're all gonna buy into his shit?" Makoto looked as bored as ever as she leaned against the railings of her platform. "This trash-talking teddy bear has been on our case since day 1, tryna make us all despair and stuff. He's been doing nothing but getting into our heads and playing mind games!" She gave a non-committal over to the black-and-white bear who was fuming at the mention of the words 'teddy bear'.

"When will you kids get it through your thick skulls? I am not just a simple toy, I am Monokuma: your headmaster, second-in-command at Hope's Peak Academy!" Monokuma looked down in defeat as he grew tired of repeating the same phrase over and over. But what was that last part again...? I feel like it's got to be a mistake or something.

"Did you just say 'second-in-command', Monokuma?" Fujiwara's eyes grew so wide I was afraid it might knock his glasses off his face. "That... is what you said, right?'

Monokuma however simple tilted his head innocently. "Hm? Yes, I did say that," Monokuma spoke in a tone devoid of expression which I thought was odd. Akiko whispered slowly but I could make out her words since she was standing just beside me. "Why is the villain revealing his plans so early in the game? Will there be another final, final plot twist?!"

"Are you telling us that someone else besides you is actually in charge of this place?" Ryoka folded her arms as she let her mind wander about the meaning behind Monokuma's motives of willingly giving out such vital information about the organization that had trapped us here in the first place. Monokuma stayed silent for a bit as all eyes fell upon him.

"Yes," came the infuriatingly short reply.

"But why are you telling us this?" Ryoka narrowed her eyes as she felt her suspicion grew more intensely. Deep down, even I know Akiko is right about this. I've watched plenty of movies and TV shows to know that the big bad villain would only ever reveal their plans when they're about to kill someone.

"You asked," Monokuma once again drops a short reply which leaves us with even more questions than we started with. "My job here is to make sure everything goes according to our calculations. The conditions I've been given leave me no choice but to comply to anybody's needs as best as I can," He paused for a moment after speaking in a toneless voice. His head swerved around slowly as he scanned the entirety of the room.

"But I've also been given orders to run the killing games and since that goes on the top of my list of priorities, I can't just be giving away clues willy nilly now can I? Upupupu..." a dark laughter rose from the mechanical infrastructure of Monokuma's small body.

"Man, that's totally unfair! Monokuma's saying stuff that makes my head hurt," Tetsu rubbed the temple of his forehead as he groaned. I have to admit, even I myself could not make heads or tails of what Monokuma had just said. Upon hearing that, the mechanical bear's laughter increased in volume and ferocity.

"Then who is the one who is actually in charge?" Seijun saw a chance and immediately took it when he saw that Monokuma was distracted. The inane laughter came to an abrupt stop as Monokuma once again returned into his more docile state. "How do you do that? It's like you have a remote control of him or something!" Akiko chimed in, much to Seijun's chagrin.

The familiar mechanical whirring that indicated that Monokuma was about to speak in a monotonous voice soon began to form itself and the prosecutor hushed the billiards player with a quick wave of her hand, causing her to pout in retaliation. "Why don't-" Monokuma broke off mid-speech and I realized that he was apparently struggling against finishing his sentence. I could tell that by the looks on everyone's faces, they were eager to hear the next part and I guess it's safe to say that we all came to the same conclusion that the next thing he's telling us is probably vital.

"... you look in... the mirror,"

{=**_Despair-Syndrome_**=}

I felt as if I had been smacked across the face when I realized that this was what he was building the moment to. It was so terribly expected of Monokuma to pull a stunt like this and before anyone else could question him any further, he broke out into a panicked outburst. "Oh my will you look at the time, isn't it getting way too late for breakfast?"

At the mere mention of the word breakfast, my stomach growled and so too did the others. I realized that we spent the whole day focused on the investigation and trial that by the time I took out my ElectroiD to check the time, I realized that it was already evening! No wonder my stomach was starting to growl since we still haven't had any food in our bodies yet the whole day.

"Hey, wait a second I'm still not-" Seijun attempted to speak up while one of his hands was brought up to his stomach as he clutched it in pain. "Oh wow you kids are stubborn, huh? Grrr just like you Makoto, oh my you're such an unruly buch!" Monokuma interrupted with a hasty reply of his own as he looked over to Makoto, who still looked surprisingly bored of the situation, and feigned anger at her. This was a really desperate attempt to cover up for himself... I can tell.

"Eh, I wasn't doing it for the sake of everyone's sanity or something, if that's what you're thinking," Makoto lazily backed away from the rails as she tapped her foot absent-mindedly. "I was just getting real sick of all your bullshit, that's all," she said with a smirk and I swear I saw Monokuma flinch a little as Makoto's remark seem to have caught him off guard.

"Sick of my-! I'll have you know that I speak the truth and nothing but the truth," Monokuma scolds her with ironically an oath that is usually said in court. Seijun furrowed his eyebrows together as he looked displeased that Monokuma was abusing something he deemed as personal. "And you kids better get something to eat, fast! Otherwise you guys will be dropping left and right like flies! Upupupu!"

"You still haven't answered my-" Seijun tried to speak again but this Monokuma was prepared and simply flicked him off with a wave of his paw. "Alright then, since no one here seems to be in the mood to cooperate, then I'm forced to write a new rule just for this special occasion!" Monokuma proceeded to wave his paws wildly into the air as if casting some kind of magic spell before a beeping sound came from my pocket. I picked up my ElectroiD and of course, it's a notification about Monokuma's new rule.

**Rule 8: As soon as the Class Trial is over, the remaining students should leave the trial room immediately. Any deliberate attempts to delay departure is punishable by death.**

While I was reading this newly implemented rule, Monokuma had gone back to his throne and messed around with the control panel on his armrest. The railing that had been brought out during the trial slowly descended back into its original compartment and Hibiki's portrait followed suit as it was swallowed by the gap in her platform. A creepy though sent chills down my spine as I wondered if everyone was standing atop their own portraits that Monokuma had already laid out for us in advance.

I didn't have long to ponder about this grim theory as Monokuma quickly ushered us all onto the round circular platform in the centre of the room. 'But-" Someone tried to protest Monokuma's actions but they just got showed around as we all gathered in the central elevator. "PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!" Monokuma was persistent in getting us all out of the trial room. He even proceeded to cover his ears with his paws and shouted gibberish in order to protect himself from spilling out more secrets.

The telltale warning that told us to keep our hands and feet inside the 'ride' played as the ground started to glow again, just like it did when we descended into the trial room. Soon, all of our complaints and protests died down as the elevator started to rise off the ground and further back up into the gym. The image of Monokuma waving from his throne grew smaller and smaller until he completely disappeared as the elevator entered the circular shaft.

"Are... are you alright?" Kotone was the first one amongst us to speak during the elevator ride as she directed her question over to a shuddering Yevan. The sight of Kenta's death still had not released its clutches from her mind as she stared blankly into the distance, the scene replaying in her mind again and again.

None of us still got over Kenta's death actually, but we just kept quiet about it to avoid causing anymore despair to spread. The image of his body was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life. It's seared into the deepest parts of my memories and no matter how hard I try to block it, it still manages to resurface.

Yevan didn't answer Kotone's question and in her place, it was Makoto who sighed and tried to talk for her sake. "She'll be fine. Just needs some time to cool down, that's all. In fact, the more you keep bringing this up, the longer it will take for her to get over it," once again her voice was that of a person who was disinterested in her surroundings.

"You seem awfully calm with having just witnessing someone's death," Akio sneered at her as he cautiously eyed her from the opposite end of the elevator.

"It ain't my first time so yeah, you just get used to it," in a casual tone, Makoto replied to Akio's scornful comment on her attitude. "I'm the SHSL Sukeban remember? Of course I've seen some violent bloodshed in my days. Of course, none was as violent as this but like I said, after a while you just learn to get used to it,"

"But... I don't wanna get used to it," Kimiko sighed as she pouted, hands on her hips. "Are we really gonna spend the rest of our lives here? In this place where people get killed off one by one?" she spoke with audible curiosity in her voice. This oddly different persona of hers managed to catch Fujiwara's attention as he fiddled with his glasses.

"You know, just a few moments ago you on the verge of having a breakdown in the trial grounds, if I remember correctly. Yet here you are now, speaking as if none of that had just happened," he took down his glasses and wiped it carefully with his shirt while asking Kimko that question.

"What... do you mean?"

At this new revelation, Yevan snapped out from her trance-like state and turned her head towards Kimiko's direction. "I knew it, you were lying the whole time weren't you?" she raised her voice at the Hollywood star but the meek little girl that we saw in the trial just frowned.

"No, I didn't commit the murder, remember?" She crossed her arms with a look of annoyance visibly planted on her face. "It was Kenta who did it, after all. I'm just like the rest of you. I wanted to find the real culprit because I know that _I_ didn't do it," at the last part of her speech, her intonation evolved into a more sarcastic one as her arms waved wildly around her in an exaggerated fashion.

"I thought that maybe if I act all cornered and scared, the killer might have a change of heart and come forward. He didn't though in the end. Instead he just kept quiet even though he knew that the rest of us would've been executed if we couldn't figure out the truth," the people around her shifted uncomfortably a bit in their spot as Kimiko spoke with callousness. She then shifted her attention back towards Fujiwara with an angry expression. "And you, you knew exactly what happened but you didn't even say anything!"

"I was planning on revealing what I had seen that night should the trial end up in an undesirable circumstance which-" he paused for a moment and glanced downwards. "You all seemed to have no trouble with after all. My intervention was not necessary in the end, right?"

Yevan snapped at Fujiwara when she directed her fury over to him now. "You could've gotten us all killed! What if Monokuma decided to cut the trial short and we would've ended up not hearing what you had to say!" her hands were balled up into a tightly-clenched fist as her eyes and mouth twitched slightly while she was delivering her sentence.

"But he didn't now did he? And besides, I doubt that Monokuma could even do something like that in the first place," He tried to calm Yevan down by raising his hands as a sign of defeat.

"Eh? What makes you say that?" Akiko looked confused and looked expectantly at Fujiwara.

Fujiwara looked at her, a little bit surprised. "Didn't you hear what he said? I mean it kinda sounds like he's not capable of deliberately throwing off the trial... other than twisting the information on the Monokuma File that is,"

Ryoka sighed as she brought a finger up to her chin. "But it's a little odd, don't you think? I mean, Monokuma inadvertently also helped us to narrow the case down and we managed to pinpoint the killer's identity after that on our own, no?"

Akio raised an eyebrow at her and wondered "You're talking about that new Monokuma rule aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," Yevan muttered under her breath. She was still not over Fujiwara's whole 'not telling' act and scoffed sarcastically after that. "What's the point of that anyways? Monokuma simply felt like doing it because he's just here to inconvenience us even further, right?"

Ryoka mulls this over in her head before giving a very slight and hesitant nod. "Hmm... maybe,"

"And you!" Yevan suddenly turned towards Tsubasa's direction. The finger painter had not said a word since the execution had occurred and kept his gaze away from the main group as he stood a few feet away from the crowd, dangerously close to the elevator's moving wall. "You just condemned Kenta like that without even any feeling of remorse!"

"...excuse me?" Tsubasa jerked his head slightly to our direction. "You do realize that right now, you're defending a guilty man? A man guilty of murdering my sister," He spoke in a cold and tired voice, getting bored of the conversation already.

"But it was an accident!" she called him out on his impulsive decision back there. Tsubasa winced a little bit before hiding his emotions under an expressionless mask. "It was either him or us,"

This caused Yevan to gasp as she looked at him in horror. Kuno shook his head as he shifted Megumi's resting body in his arms as the long elevator ride was starting to get to him. "I see how it is," He spoke with an ironic smile.

Tsubasa raised his head to look at him better although I could tell that he was giving Kuno the 'don't you dare' look. "I wonder what it is," He muttered half-heartedly.

"You would willingly kill another person if it meant your survival?!" Seijun looked at him with his jaws hanging under his open mouth. The prosecutor almost felt a little unnerved by this.

"I don't care what you think," Tsubasa snapped at him before quickly turning his head back into the other direction which he was originally looking at.

The situation in the elevator started to get more and more awkward after that as we all stood there in dreadful silence. Not wanting to process what just happen and constantly struggling to come to terms with our possible future, everyone simply averted their eyes from each other as I felt the atmosphere start to fill with despair.

Akiko's whistling however, had caught us all off guard. "Wow, this sure is a looooooong elevator ride, huh?" she grinned as Akio, Seijun and Makoto all rolled their eyes. "It's almost like it's conveniently designed according to the lengths of our little talks, right?" a collective groan filled the chamber as the girl with the bob cut continued to lean on the fourth wall.

As if on cue however, the elevator suddenly filled with a flash of bright white light and I was forced to shield my eyes with my hands. "Ouch! That was really bright!" I reflexively exclaimed the obvious as I blinked rapidly, my eyes gradually starting to get used to the intense lighting. After they had properly readjusted, I realized that we were once again back at the gym and the elevator had come to a complete stop and went back to being just a regular old logo of Hope's Peak Academy on the floor.

"Ah! Look!" a cry came from Ryoka as she pointed to something on the stage. When I turned my head to see what it was she was pointing at, I was greeted with a familiar image of our silhouettes... only this time, Hibiki's wasn't the only one that was painted in a bright pink. The large, muscular outline of the SHSL Martial Artist which was previously black was now also the same shade of pink as Hibiki's, every part of his silhouette was now a solid pink even down to his silly hair spike.

The counter below all of our pictures showed a number lesser in value than when we entered the trial room... **_14_**.

"Damn, looks like Monokuma's really serious about us killing each other, huh?" Tetsu said as he scratched the back of his head.

"What was your first guess? The execution or the trial grounds?" Akio sarcastically shot back at him as he started to make his way back to the cafeteria.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?!" Kimiko called out behind them. "We should stick together!""

"And do what? Sit around in a circle singing campfire songs?" Tsubasa brushed past her without even looking. His tone indicated that he had enough of the situation already and was just wishing for it to end.

"It's true. Nothing can be gained if we settle in the dregs of stagnancy. I say we should continue with our daily lives," Seijun spoke up in a very stiff voice as if he was reciting it from a script before giving a hearty laugh. "Besides, we cannot fight for the forces of justice on empty stomachs!"

Yevan stuttered randomly but no audible words from her mouth. Makoto sighed and shook her head as she took Yevan's hands to lead her back into the dorm area. "I doubt this girl here is in any shape to cook up something so... someone else has got to do the cooking around here, for now," Yevan said nothing and followed along behind her. I couldn't see her face since she tried her best to avoid looking at anybody.

"Ah, then it's settled! I shall be contributing to the kitchen as best as I can!" Fujiwara stamped his fist into his open palm before walking at a brisk pace in front of the others.

Soon, the number of students remaining grew less and less as more of us willed ourselves to move on past the tragic event. Although, to be honest... I think it was the hunger that made us forget about the whole event so willingly. Kotone left for the dorms as she gasped, reaching over her mouth with one hand. "Oh dear, I think I shall help Fujiwara with his duties,"

As the dormitory doors closed behind her, I looked around to find only Kuno, Ryoka and I were the only ones that remained. "We should get her to the Nurse's Office, don't you think?" Kuno winced as his arms started to shake.

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

"Oh, yeah! Sure let's get going," I peeked at the sleeping figure in his trembling arms for a moment before hurrying over to the red double doors that lead to the garden. Ryoka came over to hold the door open as she ushered me to help Kuno carry the weight of another human being. I went over to his side and when I tried to grab hold of Megumi's neck, he yanked away gently from me and gestured his head over to the other end of her body.

"No offense, but the leg part of the human body is lighter and unless those clothes actually hide your muscular figure, let me handle this," He playfully teased as he smiled that big smile of his. With a frown on my face, I proceeded to go over to the other side of Megumi's body and felt the heavy weight of her body being shifted into my outstretched arms.

Soon, both of us began carrying Megumi's unconscious body down the hallway with Ryoka leading in the fore. The walk was brisk and uneventful except Ryoka's conversation which seemed a tad bit one-sided.

"Don't you find Monokuma's behavior a little odd?" She asked while still facing the front.

"A little," came the short reply from Kuno.

Feeling a little lost, I spoke up with a grunt as I corrected the position of Megumi's lower body in my arms. "What do you guys mean? Monokuma's just being... well, Monokuma,"

Kuno shook his head as he chuckled lightly, an amused smile plastered on his face despite the sweat drops that have rolled down from his forehead.

"And by Monokuma being Monokuma, I'm talking about his preaches about fairness and equality, after all," Ryoka turned to look around for a moment to see if we were following.

"You see, Monokuma's personality deems him as someone who's a stickler for the rules, no?" Kuno closed his eyes for a moment as he brought this up for me specifically. Whatever crazy theory these two have, you can be sure that they have something like a telepathic connection with each other as they seem to be able to reach the same conclusions moment after one of them gets to there first.

I nod my head silently as I pushed them to continue their discussion.

"Well, don't you think it's funny? The people here, I mean," Ryoka voiced out her opinion.

"Huh?"

Expecting such a reaction from me, Kuno proceeded to pick up where Ryoka had left off. "It's about their talents, I presume?" a gentle nod from the girl walking in front of confirmed Kuno's suspicions as she opened the door that lead to the cross-shaped hallway of the academic building for us.

"What about their talents?" I asked as I stumbled around on my feet when Kuno realigned our position vertically so that Megumi could fit through the door.

"Well, what's the one thing you'd expect from every class at Hope's Peak Academy?" He smirked slyly as he waited for me to reach my own conclusion.

_The one thing that I'd expect from every class?_

Try as I might, I couldn reach the answer that they were looking for and when I shrugged my shoulders in response, I heard a sigh coming from the tall man with auburn hair.

_"Where's our class's SHSL Lucky Student?"_

{=**_New World Order_**=}

In every class at Hope's Peak Academy, there was always a 16th student that was regarded as the Super High School Level Luckster, Good Luck, or whatever else is the appropriate title for someone who got their name picked through a nation-wide lottery of pre-high school students. This 16th student would be just a regular kid who didn't excel at any particular field and wasn't remotely out of the ordinary either since well, the only reason they get to attend the academy was from sheer good luck.

_So... where exactly is our SHSL Lucky Student?_

"Each and every one of the students here has an SHSL title of their own; all 16 of them. If this really is Hope's Peak Academy, then where is the common title that is given to the lottery winner?" Ryoka muses out loud as we reached the centre of the crossroads. Only a little bit further to the Nurse's Office... arms don't fail me now!

"Couldn't this whole Hope's Peak Academy thing just be a hoax by Monokuma? I mean really, what kind of school lets their students run around and kill each other?" I scoffed as I easily countered Ryoka's statement.

Ryoka pursed her lips as she stopped and turned around to face us. "It's just... something that's been bugging me. Anyways, just amuse me, ok? Pretend that this really is the real Hope's Peak Academy" she said before turning in the opposite direction.

"Monokuma's a stickler for the rules, we've already established that. So why doesn't he follow the traditional system of picking out a random name from a giant fishbowl and have them locked up in here with the rest of us?" Ryoka questions as we finally stood in front of the Nurse's Office. She pushed the door open for us and we struggled to realign ourselves again to fit through the one-person door.

"Probably because this isn't really the real Hope's Peak Academy?" I repeat my answer again as I gave a huge sigh of relief as I finally felt the weight of Megumi's body off my hands. Kuno gave a huge sigh too as he carefully laid her head against the soft pillow of the infirmary bed.

"Didn't I just tell you to go along with my idea?" Ryoka scolded me with a scowl on her face. "Did Monokuma perhaps make a mistake in choosing us as his students? Was there something more to our kidnapping than we had initially thought?"

Kuno took a break from his watch over Megumi and decided to join our little debate here in the Nurse's Office. "Well, I'm pretty losing our memories played a big part in Monokuma's choice of students, no?"

Ryoka frowns as she rubbed her forehead with two fingers. "But how long exactly was the span of those memories that he took from us? I mean, the magazines in the lounge area had the latest entry dated just before the new school year started: December of last year. I can't imagine how Monokuma might have been able to carry out such a feat in just one month..."

"Well, maybe he just forgot about the lucky student?" I gave a shot in the dark with what I guessed to be the only logical answer, expecting to be shot down by these two geniuses. To my surprise however, they didn't deny the possibility and actually gave a slight 'hmmm' as they processed the idea in their heads and gave a slight nod.

"... I guess so... There's nothing much that we can figure out by ourselves so I guess that's a dead end for no-" before Ryoka had finished her sentence, a loud guttural growl bellowed out across the rooma and I jumped up from my seat at the foot of Megumi's bed, alarmed. The growl however, I discovered had come from Ryoka's grumbling tummy. With bright red cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Ryoka clutched her stomach as she made her way out of the Nurse's Office.

"H-hey, aren't you going to check on Megumi?" I asked her while trying to laugh off the awkward situation.

"U-um... nah, I don't think that's necessary. I don't know anything about medical procedures after all and I would probably just get in the way anyways," She blushed as she laughed sheepishly, almost tripping over some IV stands along the way. The blush on her cheeks only darkened even further as Kuno gave a light-hearted chuckle. "Ah! I'm so sorry!"

"Just give me a head's up when she's finally awake, yeah?" She called out from the doorway before giving a curt bow to take her leave.

After that, it was only Kuno and I in the room along with an unconscious Megumi. Kuno inspected the area where she struck her head but it seemed like there were no open wounds or bleeding detected by him. It's safe to assume that she's just had a mild concussion and will awaken after a moment's rest. "We won't be able to actually figure out if she has any internal injuries anyways since we don't have an x-ray machine or something," He laughed as he patted my shoulder.

"It's not like Monokuma would be willing to lend us one anyways, isn't that right?" Kuno said as he looked up into the top-right corner of the room.

* * *

**DAY 3 – Evening**

**Location: ?**

{=**_Despair Syndrome_**=}

"Upupupu... you got that right," Monokuma released the paw that he had on the intercom button after he gave the promptly brief reply into the channel labeled as 'Nurses Office'

Watching the two boys on the screen doing their best to keep Megumi's body safely in bed, Monokuma took a sip from his wine glass as he leaned back against his expensive-looking office chair. Sitting in front of Monokuma were rows and rows of high tech surveillance equipment where he could sit back and watch all of his subject scurry about in their daily routine.

He glanced over to the monitor which showed a live feed of the cafeteria and chuckled as he saw his students struggling to cope with a normal dinner as they sat separately in different seats and tables rather than the regular long table which they usually feasted upon. He took another deep sip from the glass in his fuzzy paws before making a crude slurping sound that dragged on for what seemed like minutes

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" He gave a long and satisfied sigh as he chucked the wine glass behind him, causing a loud shattering sound. Without glancing back at the pile of broken glass on the floor, he scooted forward in his seat an picked up the master remote control for the monitors in front of him.

"Now... let's see what we got here, eh?" He turned a knob on the remote counter-clockwise and the image in the Nurse's Office rapidly distorted and warped as it was being played backwards in rewind. Passing the moment where Ryoka almost knocked over the IV stands, he paused the video just before reaching the point where the three meddling individuals were being nosey while their friend remained unconscious.

He clicked the play button on the remote and soon the screen that was once still had come to life once more.

_"Well, maybe he just forgot about the lucky student?" _

A male voice was picked up from the built in microphone inside the tiny security camera that was placed in one of the corners of the room. It was designed for stealthily recording audio and visual data that was to be used by secret service agencies... which of course meant that Monokuma wasn't shocked to find out that Kuno, the SHSL Espionage, was able to detect his micro-cameras littered around the school.

_"... I guess so... There's nothing much that we can figure out by ourselves so I guess that's a dead end for no-" _

The girl's voice was cut short by a horrific sound that reminded Monokuma of the anguished wails of a prey dying by his sharpened claws. It was a good memory that he was fond of, so he chuckled in delight when he remembered it. For one thing, the girl was right. There really is nothing that his students could figure out on their own; which is why he decided to give them a little present for successfully completing their very first trial.

"Upupupu... sweet, little Ryoka," Monokuma muttered darkly as he pulled yet another wine glass full of the same red liquid he was drinking just moments ago, from a compartment underneath the high tech surveillance controls.

"The conditions I've been given leave me no choice but to comply to anybody's needs as best as I can," he took a long sip from his glass as he relished in his deviously well thought out plan.

"I didn't forget about the lucky student, you know. Everyone must be included... for the hope of a shining future,"

_Upupupu..._

* * *

**a/n: And there you have it. A shoddy little chapter that I must apologize for compared to my previous updates. Anyways, fret not as the next week will contain 2 updates! One to compensate the other half of this chapter and will be up in a few days hopefully if nothing gets in the way, and the second is a usual Sundays update which may feature our first special event! Now, like I mentioned before, there's something I want to discuss about the SYOC.**

**From chapter 2 onwards, I'm changing the format of the daily lives event into something less... compressed. It was a mistake to try and cram everything into just one chapter and I missed out on a lot of opportunities to introduce the characters and their backstories so in lieu of this blunder **(it's my first time writing something like this .) **I'll be splitting up the daily lives part into at least two chapters and y'all get to vote on which characters get to be in the FTE sequences.**

**And I've been really busy this week that I didn't manage to reply to your reviews in pm as usual... So sorry for that, I'll be sure to reply the next set properly however since I don't expect any more troubles irl :/**


	9. Ch 1: Epilogue 1-2

**Announcement**

_I'm sure most of you have already received the notification from GinMerric telling you about my current financial issues. But just to make it official, I'll explain it here one more time. I'm in a tight spot with money currently and I've had to forego my internet subscription. Right now I'm uploading this via mobile data on my phone-turned-hotspot. As a result I won't be able to go online as much as I used to, otherwise I'd easily exceed my quota :/ I won't be having proper internet for the indefinite future so I'm not sure how long this will continue but rest assured I'm still here albiet... more challenged to update this SYOC as easily and frequently as I used to._

_Secondly, I'm not sure if GinMerric had stated this in his message to all of you but over the past week he has officially been hired as **co-writer **for this SYOC so everyone make sure to say hi to him :) This chapter will be something like a flashback chapter that details the interactions between the other students, especially the deceased ones, and is writted by none other that GinMerric himself! I'm only responsible for the last two segments of this chapter so give a round of applause to GinMerric and tell him what you think of his writing, yeah? He deserves some recognition for his hard work and dedication._

**no a/n: this chapter since everything's pretty much stated up there in the announcement.**

* * *

**DAY 1 - Free Time: Morning**

**Location: Entrance Hall**

**Withal: Hibiki, Kimiko, Kotone**

_{=__**Despair-Syndrome**__=}_

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

A tightened fist smacked against the locked doors of the entrance hall, barring the person from any sense of true freedom. The person in question didn't let up for some reason, her fist tightened in a ball-like shape once again. The knuckles of the girl turned stark white as her fist impacted on the closed door. Yet, no actual progress had been made and the girl simply gives up her efforts.

Accepting her fate, she regressed into the corner of the hall and took refuge near the numerous chairs, burying her head within her thighs. A soft sob escaped her lips as a tear fell and dissipated within the fabric of her clothing. Her fingers dug deep within the fabric of jeans as another sob freed itself.

Hibiki Yukata, the SHSL Hair Dresser cried, as she faced loneliness all by herself. Totally unaware of the footsteps marching her way, however she did hear the approaching voices speak in a comfortable manner to another. Although, she receded even further in her fetal position as she tried to block out the voices, sadly her efforts were rendered nil by the following outbursts.

''Whaaaat?! So you make monster masks and stuff! That's so neat, Kotone!'' The tone of the girl was one of complete bafflement, if Hibiki didn't know any better, she would assume that she could even _hear_ the girl's eyes widen in surprise.

''Kimiko, please close your mouth. I don't need to see the breakfast between your teeth.'' The other voice quickly retorted in a neutral tone, the sound of a jaw snapping back into was also very audible.

''You know, it was a fun experience working with the people within the special effects department. I respect those people quite a bit, the tips some of them gave were really helpful, even to this very day.'' The more mature voice spoke, even an air of humbleness wafted from her voice.

The door beside Hibiki creaked open, and two women strutted into the room, still too deeply caught up in their conversation to notice the sulking girl. Hibiki made no effort in order to alert the girls of her presence within the hall. She mere kept weeping in her own self-imposed loneliness, hoping that she'd be left alone soon enough.

_{=__**Beautiful Days**__=}_

But Kimiko Sanazawa would have nothing like that in her vicinity, at least that's what Hibiki assumed as she heard the girl sprinting towards her with the speeds that caused her eyebrows to twitch in stupor. Kotone Oshiro, entered her vicinity a couple seconds later, thanks to the sound footsteps echoing into Hibiki's ears. The both of them wore expressions of worry and woe, but Hibiki merely wept, ignoring the sounds and voices around her completely in her own foolish stubbornness.

It was then that the seat beside creaked loudly, warning Hibiki about the fact someone to was dangerously close to-

''Huh..?'' The Hair Dresser whimpered as her body pivoted to the right and her messy light brown hair rested against a soft and pudgy surface.

She peeked up from her volitional prison and met the calm steel colored orbs of Kotone gazing tenderly down into her own. Hibiki's face turned rosy as she takes in Kotone's motherly demeanor and it turned even rosier as she realized that her head rested on Kotone's lap too. With a yelp and a quick jerk forward, Hibiki seated herself once again into her chair, only to meet the line of sight of Kimiko who still carried the same worry on her face as she did earlier.

''Aww.. That's so cute. You're turning all pink.'' Kotone cooed as she hid the growing smile behind her hand, causing the girl in question to turn her head away from her and pout in dismay as she wiped away the tear stains off of her puffed out cheeks.

''I'm.. not cute, just leave me be please.'' Hibiki pleaded as her eyes slowly drooped to the floor. Forcing herself to respond to Kotone's mild mannered joke.

Kimiko shook her head without wasting a single moment after Hibiki spoke, she lowered her body, so she could look up into Hibiki's eyes, ''No can do, I'm not going to leave you by yourself, Hibiki.'' Kimiko paused as she closed her eyes for a moment and reopened them with determination.

''If you need a shoulder to cry on, cry on mine. I'm not too tall anyway, so you can easily dig your face in my shoulders.'' Kimiko exhumed with a radiant glow to her, her tone was gentle and easing and a warm smile was accompanied with it.

Hibiki felt a sudden warmth coursing through her body as she laid eyes on the movie star before her, her darkened mood lightened a tad in response and a small smile formed on her lips once more.

''Yes. Just as she said, we are here for you so please lighten up.'' Kotone added, as she took up her trademark motherly air once again.

The hair dresser turned to the girl beside her and gave her a small nod of approval, both Kimiko and Kotone had a relieved glee on their faces in accordance to Hibiki brightening up.

''What's the reason you're here by yourself anyway?'' Kotone questioned, her brows scrunched together in a single moment highlighting her blatant confusion about Hibiki's reasoning for coming here by herself.

Hibiki sighed as she tried to gather the right words in her mind, ''My memories.. My feelings ache for some reason, but I can't remember. I can't remember why it hurts so bad.''

Kimiko, who's still squatted before Hibiki flashed her a bright smile, ''So what about it?''

Kotone and Hibiki both froze as their vision met and had the exact same expression written all across their faces, plain stupor. They were dumbfound by the simple four words. How could she not care about their memories, doesn't she want to learn why things are the way they are. It's unfathomable, way too unfathomable before Hibiki even knew it she spoke up her sheer confusion, earning only a brighter smile from Kimiko in return.

_{=__**Climax Reasoning**__=}_

''Who _needs old memories _when you can _create new ones_ with friends.'' Kimiko cheered as her hand contorted in a energetic thumb up gesture.

''How could you sa-!''

''Of course! That's a splendid idea, Kimiko. We should all enjoy a nice, hot bath in a bathhouse once, just to relax, unwind and bond.'' Kotone agreed as her closed fist softly smacked against her open palm, completely ignoring the fact that she just cut off Hibiki from speaking. Kotone's eyes almost sparkled at the notion, it seems a bathhouse or mutual bathing sparked fond memories for the girl.

''Ooh! Like those fancy hot springs they use as a setting for mangas? It's a date then guys, you agree too right Hibiki?'' Kimiko roared with unwavering determination and enthusiasm, almost as if she was some rabid lion screaming to the heavens. She didn't even _ask _for Hibiki's permission it was more akin to _coaxing_ really.

Put on the spot by Kimiko, Hibiki fidgeted a bit with her scarf. After a moment her usual smile accompanied her face as she happily agreed to the notion, ''Yeah.. It sounds fun. Let's do it.''

''Great, now that it is decided.'' Kotone stood up from her seat and quickly glanced at the duo who stood mirrored from another, ''I promised Kenta to help him out in the garden so I need to get moving.'' Kimiko hastily explained as she briskly paced towards the doors nearby and fled through them.

The two of them watch Kotone leave in complete silence until their eyes found each other's gaze again. Hibiki tilts her head to the side as Kimiko once again stretched the corners of her mouth as she opens her mouth to speak.

_{=__**Beautiful Days [Piano Arrangement]**__=}_

''Say, can you my hair tomorrow? I would love to see what kind of creative stuff you can come up with, Hibiki. It'll be fun like the slumber party things I keep reading about in manga.'' Kimiko urged, praising the hair dresser in the process.

Hibiki smiled as the idea wandered her mind for a bit, it would serve as an ample distraction for the time being and Kimiko is her, how can she say no. Especially since this is the first time some invited her to do something like this, there is just no way she could refuse.

''Yes! I'd love to.''

''Oh no! I totally forgot about my rounds!'' Hibiki stated while she jumped from her seat, surprising the blond who mirrored her in distance, she quickly made her way to the door, as her hand barely touched the handle.

''Hey, can I call you sis, Hibiki?'' Kimiko asked in a friendly, yet embarrassed tone in her voice as her eyes passed over her newly-made friend in pure hope.

''Of course!''

* * *

**DAY 1 - Free Time: Evening**

**Location: Games &amp; Lounge**

**Withal: Kenta, Kimiko**

_{=__**Box 15**__=}_

The door of the Game &amp; Lounge room revolved back with an unholy force and a loud 'SMASH' accompanied with it. The perpetrator of this godforsaken racket was no one other than the large, burly Kenta Shintaka, the SHSL Martial Artist. He strutted through the door with a satisfied glow oozing from his muscular build, a smile plastered on his lips and his closed firmly shut, nearly clipping his head against the wooden door in the process.

The young, blond Kimiko Sanazawa who was peacefully reading a manga, let out a shocked shriek as the loud sound of smashing wood forces its way through her ears, the girl hastily covered her ears in fright. It's only when Movie Star noted the towering figure taking a seat beside her that she gradually removed her hands that covered her ears. Her face slowly but surely shifted into a frown as Kenta's large, muscular arms position themselves on the soft fabric of the couch just behind them.

''Was that really necessary?'' Kimiko voiced, as her brows coiled together. Her voice was neutral, yet in someway it didn't really come across as pleasant to the SHSL Martial Artist.

Kenta, who completely didn't say a single word to the girl positioned next to him, turns to Kimko with a risen eyebrow as confusion was glued all over his form, ''Was what necessary?''

Kimiko's eyebrow twitched as sighed with clear vexation, ''The door. How you _opened_ the door. I was all caught up in my manga, now I have to suspend my disbelief once again,'' Kimiko whined as she flailed the purple colored manga back and forth.

''Oh? That.. Hehe, I got all energized by that Fuh stuff that the hardass cooked up for us. Man, she's quite tough to be around but man, can she cook.'' Kenta said whilst nodding his head fervently, with his eyes still closed shut.

Kimiko's head tilted to side as she rests it on top of the manga she held in her hands, ''Wasn't her name.. Yevan, or something among those lines,'' Kimiko uttered as her free hand motioned some not-so-decent hand signs that would make a deaf person blush.

Kenta's face turned sour as he was once again reminded that the name he had stuck in his head didn't match the person at all, ''Really? I thought her name actually was 'hardass', judging from the way the she acted to all of us,'' Kenta exuded with a loud snort, nearly cracking up from his own joke.

_{=__**Beautiful Days**__=}_

Luckily for him, Kimiko saw the humor in the badly made joke and shared a laugh with the beefy young man. After the fit of laughter died out, a comfortable silence passed and the movie star whipped open her violet stained comic in her hand and began reading it at her own leisure. Kenta shifted in his seat a tad and glanced around before his eyes stop at the purple comic Kimiko read with unwavering attention.

''So, what's that thing reading there?'' Kenta questioned, as he pointed in the vicinity of the vibrant comic, swirling a bit with his meaty index finger.

''It's not a thing, Kenta. It's a manga,'' Kimiko returned, her attention still sharpened on the page before her. The martial artist sighed as he pressed a finger in his ear and twirled it.

''A manga still equals as a_ thing_ last time I checked Woekipedia.'' He retorted sarcastically, as he flicked away the brownish substances that coated the tip of his finger.

''Aima Isatsujin.'' Kimiko stated in a rather deadpan, whist she licked her thumb turned the page effortlessly.

''Imma what now? Is that supposed to be some English insult?'' Kenta quizzed while his face contorted into one that expressed many shades from, pain, agitation, disdain and reminiscence.

Kimiko, who now finally rose her head out of her book, noticed the grave expression on Kenta's face and panicked a bit as she swayed her free hand in the air, ''No! No! It wasn't an insult. It's the title of the manga. See, look!''

Kimiko gestured to the top of the manga cover, the same words seemed to be printed on it's cover and a not-so-very-lighthearted illustration of a typical bishonen bloke with blond hair who was stabbing into a silhouette with a rusty pair of scissors. It wouldn't disturb Kenta so much if he just looked at the image and not the beaming Kimiko who's eyes nearly radiated in similar potency to the sun. It was a miracle the girl didn't jump a hole in the sky, because she sure seemed close to just doing that.

Kenta's sweat rolled along his cheeks as he examined the manga that was nearly pushed into his face, his previous flurry of emotions gone in a flash replaced by borderline horror oozing from his face.

''How could you like something that clearly showcases murder as entertainment factor?'' Kenta inquired measly, trying his best not to let the horror shown on his face leak into his voice.

Kimiko smiles nearly in a disturbing fashion as she started to motormouth about what type of masterpiece the manga was, going in great lengths to explain the protagonist's deteriorating sanity as he discovered a fetish for the sensation of cutting flesh and meeting his love interest who tried to commit suicide creating this weird foil like interaction with the two of them. Kimiko claims that the murders method used within the manga are top-notch as well, going on and on about the usage of a fishing line within the manga and how a certain female detective was always one step behind him, creating this masterful tension crafted by the author.

During all of this continuous banter of the movie star Kenta smiled almost nostalgically at Kimiko, so much so that her face coiled in a unnerved expression.

''Why.. Why are looking at me like that?'' Kimiko questioned as her eyes met and subsequently averted Kenta's gaze constantly.

_{=__**Welcome To Despair Academy**__=}_

''Oh.. You just remind me of my little sis. She also motormouths about the things she loves,'' Kenta elucidated with a solemn smile on his lips, he scratched his cheek as his expression shifts to a more worried one.

''Your sister?'' Kimiko repeated, most likely curious about the subject at hand. She hid her own flushed face behind the pages of her manga as realized that a little more than fourty minutes passed since she began speaking about the hidden layers of symbolism in her manga.

''Yeah, she used to go on and on about this rising J-pop girl-band known as Black Cherry. She even kept repeating her girl-crush for the quirky vocalist of the bunch, Iyuki Miola.. I think that was her name,'' Kenta thought out loud as he stares out in the distance.

''She seems like fun person. Your sis, not the.. uh.. Songstress,'' Kimiko admitted with a warm smile as she rested the manga on her legs, revealing her previously hidden facial features.

''Yeah, she is. But she's also the very definition of the word_ random_. It's one of the reasons she attracted lots of negativity, sadly,'' Kenta explained with a saddened face as he seemed to remember something not-so-pleasant.

Kimiko's warm smile quickly shifted into a neutral face as she continued to press Kenta for an explanation, ''Why would a girl like her attract such negativity?''

Kenta's face apparently turned even sadder at the question, he soon relieved the uncomfortable emotions through a large sigh as he spoke, ''She and I were bullied a lot in school, as a whelp I was quite the cry baby and they didn't like that so much and picked on me most of the time, but Ayako always stood up for me and protected me. It's thanks to her that I never went home injured.''

Kimiko took some time to formulate a proper response to the story Kenta was telling, as she was about to open her mouth to speak Kenta interrupted her non-existent efforts.

''One day they went too far, and pushed Ayako to the ground her head was smacked against concrete and she was bleeding out on the spot. I.. I.. snapped and punched on one of them till he was nearly swallowing his own teeth. From then on I decided to protect instead of being protected, Ayako deserved at least that.''

''What happened to Ayako afterwards, Kenta?'' Kimiko questioned once more, whilst luckily not being interrupted this time around.

''She scarred up pretty nicely and returned to being as random as ever, but sadly she was left with frequent migraines most of the time. When I hear her squirm around in pain at night, I just.. I wish I could have protected her then, even if it meant becoming the bad guy in the eyes of others.''

''Kenta..'' Kimiko mouthed softly, moved by his plight.

_{=__**Box 15**__=}_

She quickly hops to her feet and briskly paced towards the magazine rack and took one of the many mangas on display. As she paced back Kimiko smiled warm and tenderly holding out the newly-grabbed orange manga in front of her.

''I think you can appreciate this story then,'' The movie star exclaimed with a sly grin.

As she nearly shoves the manga down Kenta's face once again, he could barely make out the title before being smothered by the color orange.

''Here. Read this, I'll need to get going, so see ya later Kenta.'' She quickly dropped the manga in Kenta's hands and swiftly paced out of the room within seconds, leaving a very flushed and embarrassed Kenta staring at the cover of the manga Kimiko left in his care.

''Ore no Imouto.. Wait WHAT?!''

* * *

**DAY 2 - Free Time: Afternoon**

**Location: Cafeteria**

**Withal: Tsubasa, Hibiki**

_{=__**Weekly Despair Magazine**__=}_

''Where could she be, what the heck does she think this is?!'' A frustrated voice spat out, as he ruffled his hair with his paint splotched sleeve.

Tsubasa Yukata whirled his cranium back and forth as he stood in the exact middle of the dormitory crossroad, searching for the only person that actually mattered to him in comparison to all these other pests. A distinct hue of purple catches his eye before it dissipated within the double doors of the cafeteria. That was all he needed to continue his chase, with loud stomping to boot.

With his hands in his pocket and legs outstretched he forced the double door open with a strong kick, not strong enough to knock the door off its hinges, but certainly loud enough to make the only person within the cafeteria squeal in fright. She took a step back as her brother stomped angrily towards her.

''Tsu.. Tsu.. Tsubasa?'' The girl cried softly, as the one step backwards turned to multiple ones to avoid her brother's anger-filled stare.

Tsubasa's eyes reflected clear vexation as teeth gnashed in annoyance of his sister's actions. He has been chasing her the entire afternoon and it clearly shows that the painter is completely fed up with his sister's action. As Tsubasa reached Hibiki, he outstretched his arm and clung onto Hibiki's digging his fingernails into her white sleeve and by the law of extension, her flesh.

Hibiki winces as she tried her hardest to stop Tsubasa's hand from strangulating her arm, ''Ow.. Let go of me, Tsubasa.''

''Then stop running away from me and open those damned ears of yours!'' Tsubasa nearly screamed to his sister, unintentionally pelting her with his saliva.

''No, Tsubasa! No! I'm not going to do it! I can't! Just let go of me,'' Hibiki is practically digging her fingernails into Tsubasa's hand, but he didn't let up. In fact his grip on Hibiki even doubled in power as his facial expression contorted into one of both pain and anger. Earning another painful yelp from his sister.

_{=__**A Dead End To The Ocean's Aroma**__=}_

''Just kill me already! Kill me so you can save yourself!'' Tsubasa pleaded in a fit of distress, his face darkens and his eyebrows wrinkled together, as a small wound opened up in his hand, Hibiki's eyes turned fearful as his blood cascaded down his hand and dripped onto her shoes.

''How can you say that to me! You're my brother! I can't do that! I just can't! Leave me be! LEAVE ME ALONE!'' Hibiki wailed in pure unadulterated anguish as her heart beats into her throat. Her voice cracked as pain impulses assaulted her body, no matter how much pressure she puts on Tsubasa's hand, he wouldn't let go.

Tsubasa clicks his tongue as Hibiki dug her nails even further in Tsubasa, pleading anxiously to her brother to let her go, ''I'M** NOT** GONNA LET YOU DIE!''

Hibiki froze as her eyes met Tsubasa's bloodshot beads, the hand that Hibiki used to resist Tsubasa's attempt to keep her in place lost all of it's strength, horror and fear fills her face like an empty glass being filled with crimson wine. The corners of Hibiki's mouth twitched uncontrollably as Tsubasa maintained his thug-like expression on Hibiki.

''Then stop! Stop protecting me! I can protect my self, I don't _need _you, grandpa, grandma, mom, dad or anyone else!'' She cried out with watering eyes, filled with a numerous variety of negative emotions.

''Have you forgotten?! Grandpa and Grandma did anything for us. If it weren't for I wouldn't we would've-''

''I can't stand them Tsubasa, they took us away from them! They had no right! They just wanted to deny mom and dad's - No! Our happiness together.'' She bewailed in fit of despair, cursing the people that raised her and her brother.

''I know, dammit! I know that,'' Tsubasa agreed with aggression and vexation, ''But you can't do anything, you won't do anything. If this keeps up you'll just rot away and _die _here!''

''I'm not gonna die Tsubasa, I'm going to_ escape_! Either with, or without you!'' Hibiki declared with eyes brimming determination as her began to overflow with tears.

_{=__**Living To The Fullest**__=}_

''Are you really able to that?'' Tsubasa questioned, his face totally devoid of the earlier anger and agitation etched into his face, and filled with uncomfortable expressionlessness.

Hibiki's face darkened as Tsubasa finally lets go of her arm, Hibiki didn't like where this conversation was going. For some unknown reason she can sense that the next words Tsubasa will utter will devastate her. Her breathing gradually turned more rapid and shallow and certain lightheartedness filled her skull to the brim, for her it felt that her head was about to implode in anticipation.

''Can.. Can you really kill, sis?'' Tsubasa issued, as if challenging her previous determination.

Hibiki Yukata broke as her brother unleashed the one question she just didn't want to hear, ever. Tears streamed down her face as she sniffled. Her eyes just kept asking Tsubasa; 'Why, why why why why.. Do you really think I can..?'

Hibiki's mind turned blank as bolts out of the cafeteria with speeds she never thought she in her. Tsubasa simply stared at her as she ran out the cafeteria, his bloodied hand turned into a fist and a single droplet fell from his knuckles hitting the cold floor below.

''Can you, sis?''

* * *

**DAY 3 - Evening**

**Location: ?**

{=**_Despair Syndrome_**=}

A series of images followed by the occasional glare of white noise reflected upon Monokuma's beady black eye. The mechanical black and white bear sat motionless, glued in front of the dozens of security monitors that seem to flicker repeatedly. The wine glass, held firmly in his fuzzy grip, stood unwavering despite the fact that he had been holding it in mid-air for quite some time now. Whatever routine Monokuma was following in the gym certainly seemed to be paying off.

"Hmm…," The distorted voice escaped from the speakers lodged at the back of his mechanical throat, hidden beneath the thin layer of plastic that served to display his signature half-grin. "I can't analyze anything from this!"

With a defeated sigh, Monokuma leaned back into his seat and downed the remainder of his drink. Once it was empty, he did what he usually did with things that no longer served a purposed and tossed it carelessly behind him. "Dammit!" He slammed a paw into the armrest of his lush office chair with a delicate squeak. "There's just not enough discernible data to be extracted from any of these videos!" he frowned as he took a hasty swig from the glass.

"What the hell are these kids even doing? This isn't some cheesy reality-TV show with a relatable cast or something, this is a Mutual. Killing. Game," Monokuma sighed as he crossed his legs and gently waved his stubby little foot. "This is not going to fit the calculations at all," he groaned as he brought a paw up to his chin.

"At this rate, the override protocol will initiate while they're still inside..." Monokuma whispered quietly as his volume steadily dropped while nearing the end of the sentence, rendering whatever remaining words he had to say inaudible even if someone was sitting next to him. He glanced back again at the screen with a thoughtful look on his faced and suddenly, he leaped up to the edge of his chair.

"Wait a minute... is that?" He leaned in closer towards a particular screen. Underneath it was a dusty white placard that read "1st Floor, Nurse's Office". Peering intently at the screen, Monokuma's once dull frown suddenly broke out into a cruel smile. "... I see... Calculations don't lie after all, upupupupu..."

The previously quiet room had now erupted with the trademark laughter of the headmaster as he crashed back into his seat, shoulders steadily rising and falling according to the rhythm of his maniacal laughter.

* * *

** DAY 3 - Evening**

**Location: Nurse's Office**

**Withal: Yuuta, Megumi**

{=**_Welcome to Despair Academy_**=}

The quiet hum of the mini-fridge fills the mostly-empty room with a monotonous drone, which does little to ease my drowsiness. I feel my head slowly droop down as I lean back into the comfortable chair. A sharp jerk of my head upwards makes me realize that I had dozed off into sleep... again. With a sigh, I force myself to arch my back forward, pushing me into an upright seating position; the muscles in my back contract as I stretch my hands outwards above my head. Pausing in this position for quite some time, I closed my eyes tightly as I felt the exhaustion leave my body, if only momentarily. It helped to wake me up just long enough to look presentable to my visitor.

A soft knock on the door indicated that someone was about to enter and I quickly shifted in my seat to look as if I wasn't just drooling off into sleep. The door opened slowly to reveal a weary-looking Fujiwara. In his hands I saw what looked like a silver tray with two plates of food on it. I couldn't help but stifle a smile as I was reminded of a butler from the way he looked right now.

"Hey there guys, how's it going?" He asked as he carefully maneuvered his way across the room, careful not to trip over anything like how Ryoka did before.

When I opened my mouth to speak, the first thing that came out was a big yawn that no matter how hard I tried to suppress, still managed to embarrass me by its loud volume. A sly smile crept across Fujiwara's face as he carefully brought the tray down onto a table next to me.

"Looks like someone's in need of a nap," He joked as he raised an eyebrow at me. Despite this however, he still helped to pass my food to me from the tray.

"Ha ha, well it's only natural since I'm the only one who still hasn't eaten yet," I paused for a moment to look at the passed out figure in the bed. "Well, Megumi too but she's sleeping so it doesn't count," I look back at him and saw that he was waiting for me to accept the plate he was holding and now it's my turn to crack a smile. "And look at you. Since when were you so docile? Are you going to be my servant from now on?"

Fujiwara rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I'm doing this partly because I wanted to get out of the cafeteria anyways," when he saw the confused look on my face, he sighed and started to explain. "Once everybody started eating, they all started to get some energy back, obviously, which is good and all until Yevan started pointing fingers at me for what I did back at the trial room,"

He plopped down at a nearby seat and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "After that, the brief moment of peace in the cafeteria ended just like that. Everyone started blaming each other, well mostly me, and there was a lot of shouting involved. I think they're still arguing as we speak right now!" Fujiwara gave another lengthy sigh. "Then I got stuck with delivery duty and I was honestly gladder than ever to accept it. I don't mind doing menial tasks if it meant getting out of there,"

He paused and looked at me hesitantly. "Do you... do you blame me for not speaking up sooner?" his eyes were pleading at me for an answer and I couldn't help but bite my bottom lip in response.

It would've made the trial go a lot smoother- heck if he had spoken up we probably wouldn't even need a trial in the first place. But as I looked at him just sitting there with his head down, I couldn't help but feel sorry that he was the one who had to see it. He's the SHSL Memorizer after all... Hibiki's murderous secret and death would be something that he'd be forced to remember all his life. Besides, he did say he was going to tell us if we couldn't figure it out on our own...

"No, I don't blame you," I spoke up after what must've felt like hours for him.

He raised his head up quickly to look at me and I could've sworn I saw tears in his eyes. "Thank you!" Fujiwara exclaimed with vigor in his voice and he leapt up from his seat, rushing over with arms wide open as if to hug me but before he could, a soft groan that came from the direction of the bed stopped us both in our tracks.

The passed out figure was slowly stirring in bed as she brought a hand up to her head. "Oooohh... ow... why does my head hurt so much?" Megumi spoke as she propped herself up to a seated position. I rushed over to her side and instinctively waved my hand in front of my face. "Hey how're you doing? Can you see my hands?"

Even though her e eyes were mostly glazed with confusion, Megumi still managed a frown and brought her other hand up to meet mine. "Yuuta? Um, yeah. I have a headache but I'm not blind...," she probably didn't realize it but her hands lingered longer that it probably should've have due to her current situation.

"You knocked yourself unconscious back at the trial room, after... Kenta pulled you with him." Fujiwara took his place beside me at her bed and tried his best to relay the events that happened earlier today.

Megumi winced as she tried to remember, taking both of her hands and placing it upon her head. She grabbed a handful of her hair and stared at it blankly. Fujiwara and I exchanged looks of confusion but Megumi quickly dropped the last strands of hair from her hand and reached out for something on the night-table next to her bed. As she seemed to be struggling to even perform such a basic task, I took it upon myself to bring the item over to her.

The only thing that I could find on the table that looked remotely helpful was a small hand mirror. I passed it over to her, hoping that it was the thing that she requested. "Thank you," she replied meekly and that was enough conformation to me that I had picked the right choice.

Megumi stared deeply into the mirror as she scanned the area of her impact. "According to Kuno, you didn't suffer anything other than a concussion. He also doesn't suspect that you have any form of internal bleeding or anything," I try my best to comfort her but she's still obsessed with checking herself out in the mirror.

This time, her attention had shifted from her injuries to her face in general. She poked and prodded at her cheeks, nose, lips and basically every surface of her face. It was kind of awkward to watch so I just turned my attention over at Fujiwara who had the same idea as me and we both simply just shrugged at each other.

"Are you guys sure that all I have is a concussion?" she looked up from the mirror and asked us this peculiar question. I raised an eyebrow at her and tried to think back to the exact words Kuno had told me and he had said nothing else about her condition.

"I think... I must've hit my head harder than you might've thought," Megumi spoke as she traced her fingers across her face once more. Her gaze still deeply locked into the mirror.

"What's wrong?" I asked her in a deeply worried tone as I edged myself closer to her.

She broke away from her examinations in the mirror and turned to face me. Pursing her lips momentarily as she was trying to figure out which words she should use, she took one last peak into the mirror again.

"Do I look weird to you?" She asked and when I looked at Fujiwara thinking that... she might be suffering more brain trauma than we thought, he understood what I meant and just shrugged his shoulders. I turned back towards Megumi and shook my head but she only frowned and was left even more dissatisfied.

Megumi paused for a moment before sighing. "I look weird... to me,"

_Weird...? Wow she really must've knocked her head hard. She's completely out of it!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: CUTTING ALL TIES**

**END**

**Surviving Students: 14**

* * *

**a/n: And there you have it. The end of chapter 1, the last time we'll ever see any updates with that number. From now on we'll be moving on to chapter 2 and like I promised, I'll have to poll for FTE up soon enough. I don't think there's anything else left to be said other than an issue regarding review replies. From now on, GinMerric and I will both give our two cents on the matter after we talked it over. Also something I want to add, from now on I think you'll mostly be talking with GinMerric regarding any questions or anything really since I'll mostly be offline as I have to conserve my mobile data to make it last as long as possible. Well that's that, I bid you all a fond farewell-ish (I'll be popping in and updating this story so really I'm not completely off the radar). Over and out :)**


	10. Ch 2: Did It Hurt? - Special Event

**a/n: Hey there fellow readers, it's me again. Still no proper internet yeah but it's not that bad I guess, I mean it's teaching me to control myself and curbing my internet addiction anyways :P Also to anyone asking about my living conditions, yeah I'm fine. Just give me a mattress and a basic bathroom set and I'm pretty much set for life. Also there's something I want to say, which is that I'm switching the updates to be on Monday rather than the regular Sundays since ya know, last week's update was on a Monday too and stuff so I'm pretty much just retconning it :)**

**GinMerric unfortunately has run into some bad news with his keyboard: it's completely broken. He's about 80% done with his chapter when it happened so now he's forced to type the rest of his update on his phone, bless him. Also, just to let you know, we'll update on seperate days. I'll be posting on Mondays and he'll be posting on... Thursday's probably. We haven't really finalized a proper day yet but I'll let you know tomorrow ;)**

* * *

**.**

**Chapter 2: Did It Hurt?**

**[Special Event]**

**.**

* * *

{=**_Beautiful Dead_**=}

With a deep and heavy sigh, I ran my hand slowly though the dark locks of hair that was still wet. As my gaze casted itself on the soft, carpeted floor, I let my hand fall down, crestfallen. The shadowed spot that outlined the thin frame of my hand started to grow darker as the water dripped from my fingers and onto the carpet. Not even a long and cold shower could make me feel any different than yesterday as I began to recall some past events.

Instead of a happy ending where everyone went on their merry way back to their rooms, quite the opposite happened. There was more arguing between all of the other students as Yevan started ragging on Fujiwara for withholding important information. Of course, while we were less than happy to have known this, it was pretty much redundant to keep arguing about the topic.

Do _I_ blame Fujiwara? No, not really. Like I told him before in the nurse's office, it was a thing of the past. It must've been torture enough to remember that scene permanently and in the end he did slip up and inadvertently gave us the answer. Yevan would have none of that however as she was eager to point the finger at him. After Makoto tried her best to restrain her yesterday, things started to calm down once again as we sat in separate corners of the cafeteria.

Nothing much was said after that and we all went back to our rooms. Kotone gave Fujiwara a stern lecture on not keeping secrets next time- I bit my lip at the mention of that phrase however since well... who really wants a 'next time' when it comes to this?

Shaking my head, as if to drive the dark thought away from my mind, I pushed myself up from the bed. Eager to distract myself from such thoughts any longer, I walked over to the drawer that contained all the identical clothes and sighed. Grabbing my shirt, I lift it over my head to put it on and shut the drawer after taking my jacket... and that's when I heard it.

_Ding~!_

_Dong~!_

_Ding~!_

_Dong~!_

"Rise and shine you little pipsqueaks! It's 7 am and that means you should be up and ready to go by now. Oh and before I forget, everyone- who is still alive, anyways- is required to show yourself at the garden by 7.30! Anyone who's late will be given candy!" There was a pause followed by a large barrage of empty static as I put my jacket on. It must've been a joke, Monokuma's punishment that is. If that really were the case, we might not even need to attend his meeting at all. "Just kidding! Anyone who's late shall be given the usual punishment: Death! See you all around, otherwise... upupupupu,"

And _there's_ the ol' Monokuma that we know and love. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that little quip as I proceeded to move for the front door. With a yawn, I fished for my ElectroiD in my pockets. As you can probably tell, I wasn't really in the mood to sleep last night with everything going on. Tried as I might, I always managed to wake up as soon as I fell into a slumber. As a result, I was 'up and ready to go' about half an hour before Monokuma's morning announcement.

_Huh...?_

A sense of dread started creeping up on me as I rummaged my hand around in my pockets. The tempo of which I was searching myself quickly sped up as I was nearing the door. "_Dammit_," I thought to myself as I realized that it's missing. _"Don't tell me I did it again?" _an exasperated groan escaped my lips as I doubled back into the bathroom. Digging around in the clothes bin, I brought out the last pair of pants that I was wearing and searched in their pockets.

_..._

_A-ha!_

Of course my ElectroiD was in my old pants. This is a habit that's bound to be the death of me one day. I gave myself a little face-palm as I dumped the used garment back where it belonged and jostled over to the exit door. Hearing the familiar ***beep*** as I swiped my room key against the scanner, the door to my room slid open to reveal a mostly empty hallway.

{=**_Beautiful Days_**=}

"Good morning, my dear marksman," the tall, coat-wearing brunette winked at me as he idly strolled past my room.

Following not too far behind him was the same disinterested face that I'd seen him wear the past couple of days. "I can't believe that Monokuma has another measly little agenda for today. Frankly, I'm getting really tired of putting up with his inane activities," spoken with utter contempt, Akio flicked some of his hair out of his face as he jerked his chin up to show disgust.

Kuno stopped dead in his tracks and did a quick double take as his eyes grew wide in a mixture of... I think, surprise and glee? Whatever his emotions were, it was quickly drowned by his cheeky grin that followed soon after. "I'm surprised to hear that phrase come out of your very mouth!" the smile only grew wider when he noticed Akio's flustered look.

Stepping out of my room as the door closed behind me, I approach the two conversing figures and followed along with their banter as we head out to the elevator. Akio pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at Kuno. "Why's that? It's because you think I'm all about the unexplored and uncharted right?" he hunched his shoulders over and tingled his fingers in the air while making a ridiculous 'ooooooh' sound.

Kuno raised an eyebrow at him and I could've sworn I heard the most subtle sound of a giggle coming from him. "Not really... but when you put it that way, _are_ you all about aliens and stuff?" The doors to the elevator exposed their interior to us and Akio quickly stepped in without hesitation. Kuno chuckled as he followed almost immediately behind him. Even though I was starting to feel a little bit awkward around them, I steeled my nerves to share the elevator space with the bickering duo.

"Ugh!" Akio rolled his eyes as he jabbed the button that commanded the elevator doors to close after I stepped inside. "You're just like the rest of the people I know," he huffed as he retreated to the back of the lift and leaned his back on the metal wall, arms crossed.

"Oh? And why is that, if I may ask?" Kuno smirked as he shifted to the side of the wall Akio was leaning on, leaving me all alone in the centre of the elevator.

"Well, for starters you go around stereotyping me as some sort of supernatural fanatic and then you impose the fact that I chase after aliens!" Akio fumed as he raised a pointed finger at Kuno. The intensity of his actions had caused those long black locks of him to shroud over his eyes, making him look like something from out of the horror movie. "Do I _look_ like the kind of person to do that?!"

From my point in the elevator, I could see Kuno trying his very best to stifle his laughter and honestly I think I'm doing the same! If only Akio could see himself right now, he would've heard how ironic his statement. When a few moments passed without any reaction from the two of us, Akio shook his head to try to fling the hair obstructing his view and yelled out in impatience. "Well?!"

"You do _not_ want me to answer that!" Kuno burst out with laughter as he brought a hand to his forehead while the other was clutching at his sides. Akio's face started to go red when he noticed that Kuno wasn't the only one left in a laughing fit. I couldn't help myself from laughing as Kuno's actions were somewhat contagious. "You really _don't_ want us to answer that!" I managed to get a word out in between boyish laughter but this did little to appease Akio's temper.

"Ugh! You two are nothing but low-life nuisances!" Akio shook a fist at us in a fit of rage and his dark locks flew around his face in accordance. As if on cue, the elevator doors swung open and Akio quickly swerved his head- causing some of his hair to lash out at Kuno, who was standing close by- and took quick steps out the door with an audible "Hmph!"

"Oh dear, it seems I may have upset the crown prince of hell... or something," Kuno chuckled as he nudged his elbow into my ribs. Rubbing the spot of the playful gesture, I followed him out of the lift as he tried to catch up with fleeing Akio. Playing along with the running gag, I mused out loud. "You don't think you could be...," I paused to take a really dramatic gasp. "... cursed?" I brought both of my hands up to my cheek with mouth wide open and Akio rolled his eyes in annoyance.

By this point, Akio had already disappeared past the red, velvet doors and Kuno broke into a jog to catch the handle of the door before it swung closed. "After you, my good sir," he had managed to catch it in time and proceeded to bow down like some sort of bellboy. "Thank you very much," I bowed my head down in response as I stepped through the doorway that lead into the long garden hallway. More laughter ensued from the SHSL espionage and I as we made our way along the extensive corridor, our footsteps echoed loudly against the cold hard floor.

Our joyful laughter, which brought no reminder of the grim events of yesterday, suddenly stopped when noticed that Akio was standing oddly still in front of the entrance to the right side of the garden. His posture was completely rigid and his eyes grew wide open, which seemed to match the state of his slack-jawed mouth at the current moment. "You don't think... it could be another murder, do you?" I looked up to Kuno, my voice pained with agony and despair as the worst possible turn of events flashed before my very eyes.

Kuno however remained calm- but then again when was he ever _not_ calm? He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I'm not sure why it seemed to be working but feeling the weight on my shoulder did help distract me from any troubling thoughts at the moment. "Don't be silly, Yuuta. Don't you remember that Monokuma was the one who summoned all of us here in the first place? Now, unless the headmaster killed one us, which I really doubt he will... not with his own two hands- er, I mean paws- anyways, then you needn't worry your pretty little face about anything,"

Afterwards, Kuno left me standing there, speechless and blushing, as he sauntered his way over to the stunned Akio. Never in my life had I been called pretty and I never really thought I ever would, actually... much less from someone of the same gender as me! I quickly brushed the thought away from my mind as I realized that I was standing in the middle of the hallway like a fool and quickly hurried to catch up to my peers.

Before I was even close to the garden, I noticed that Kuno was also affixed next to Akio in a somewhat similar expression except his was more calm and reserved compared to the fish-face Akio was clearly putting up. When I turned my head to the direction they were looking at, I started to feel my jaw drop little by little as I realized what exactly Monokuma had planned for us this morning.

{=**_Weekly Despair Magazine_**=}

The scenic garden that was the epitome of tranquility and peacefulness that nature provided for us was now... **_defiled_** by Monokuma's 'renovations' to the area. In the middle of the clearing was a long wooden table draped with black cloth. Assorted flowers had been unceremoniously littered all over the table and the ground nearby carelessly, as if someone just decided to pluck some petals and tossed it in random directions.

What really caught my attention however, were the two large wooden picture frames that looked really familiar. They had the same blasphemous x-shaped cross smeared on the person's portrait in shoddy pink brushstrokes. The same black and white ribbon had draped the top of their pictures as they stood at the centre of the table. Once I saw all the candles strewn about the table in a disorganized manner and the rows and rows of white foldable chairs, I knew exactly what this was supposed to be.

It was a Monokuma-styled memorial service to the SHSL Hairdresser and Martial Artist, Hibiki Yukata and Kenta Shintaka. Their innocent smiles captured within the wooden picture frames belonged to a pair of all-too-familiar faces.

"Ah, what a bunch of early birds you are! I must say, this kind of behavior brings nothing but joy to your dear old headmaster's heart. Oh, I think I'm going to cry!" the irritatingly condescending voice loomed from beyond the table and not a second too soon, out came Monokuma from under the tablecloths. "Upupupu! What do you think? Not too shabby, huh? I stayed up all night just making preparations to surprise my lovely, still-alive, students,"

"Well you did a very job then, I must say," Akio scoffed under his breath, thinking that it wouldn't reach the earshot of Monokuma who was standing quite the distance away from the three of us but the sudden glare in his red eye lens made it obvious that Monokuma indeed had heard Akio's little backtalk.

"Excuse me?" Monokuma sputtered as his body seemed to whir at an increasing volume. Akio took a step back, trembling in fear as Monokuma took a step in his direction with feet that shook the ground. In the blink of an eye, Monokuma seemed to have appeared right in front of our very eyes at a blindingly fast speed. The whiplash of his supersonic travelling speed caused Akio to stumble backwards on his behind. In Monokuma's wake, the grass seemed to have been trampled and scorched in a steady pattern, forming a trail that lead back to his original spot at the memorial table.

"Why would you say something like that now? I thought this was exactly the kind of stuff you hip young little bastards are into these days," Monokuma tilted his head menacingly downwards to look at Akio who cringed when Monokuma suddenly raised his paw in front of his face. A whimper escaped Akio's lips as the sound of metal grinding upon metal was heard coming from Monokuma's paws and I instinctively took a step back away from the unfolding scene. I was definitely _not_ looking forward to ending up in deadly crossfire.

However, instead of drawing out his sharpened claws from his paw, what came out was some kind of paper of some sort. Monokuma stepped back from the shivering Akio and brought the paper up close to his face. I shared a look at Kuno, giving him the what-the-hell look and he simply just shrugged back in response. "See! It says so right here that you, Akio Komiya- sole member of the occult club at your old school- quite enjoy a good memorial service," Monokuma waved the paper in front of his face and he flinched.

While all of this was going on, I managed to make out a picture of someone's face on the front page of the folded paper- which I now realize is actually a flyer. It was printed in white lettering over a black background, along with Akio's non-smiling face boldly displayed on the top corner of the flyer. Akio, whose eyes were closed just a few moments ago, opened one eye slowly to examine the small pamphlet in Monokuma's paw.

His eyes grew wide as he awkwardly crawled forward from his sprawled position. "That's...," Akio tried to snatch the flyer away from Monokuma but he jerked his paw back quickly before Akio could reach it. "That's my old school's published ad for my club! Where on Earth did you get that?" He looked desperately at the mechanical bear who simply tilted his head for a few moments. A low hum emanated from the bellows of his machinery before he responded with a gentle push in front of Akio's face.

"Yes. Yes this is definitely from my old school! I remember that photographer always insisted on taking a picture of me smiling!" He gripped it tightly in his hands until it started to crumple although I was a little bit distracted by the fact that _that_ was the 'smiling' picture the photographer had used. "Where did you get this?!" He asked once again but Monokuma just shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe I went to your old school and dug it up or pried it from the cold hands of your former teachers?" Monokuma simply chimed as he did a few stretches, almost as if to warm himself up to the impending shit-storm that was about to come.

"What do you mean by... prying? Did you-," Akio gasped loudly and dropped the balled up flyer to the floor as he staggered backwards.

"No I didn't kill them. Someone else probably did and they're probably the same person who delivered this piece of juicy gossip to me," Monokuma went on about how he obtained something so sensitive to Akio's past but I was just left speechless about all of this.

"Are you saying that Akio's teachers are dead?" Kuno interjected their little conversation as he picked Akio up from the dirty floor. Despite some grunts of protest by Akio, Kuno pushed the smaller male behind him as if to shield him from Monokuma.

"Quite possibly maybe without a doubt one hundred percent on the fence heavily implied largely hinted at positively non-negotiable 50-50 perhaps supposedly true and/or false," Monokuma went on a breathless outburst of vaguely descriptive words.

"That's... what?" Akio peeked out from behind Kuno and shot Monokuma a confused look. Clearly this was our headmaster's trick into not answering any of our questions in a direct way. Either that or he's just being the obnoxious little troll that he is.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all!" Monokuma spoke in a cheerful, high-pitched tone as he started lay off of Akio and pranced back to the memorial area. "But this is the kinda stuff that you're into, right? The occult and stuff? Upupupu...," he turned around and gave a little wink at the hiding male.

"Yeah I am definitely into the occult but this is _not_ something that's a part of that category!" Akio stepped up from behind Kuno and straightened his outfit in a brisk manner. "I mean, this is a memorial service for god's sake!"

Just when things were starting to heat up, a loud and shrill scream burst out from the direction of the gym. "Oh, HELL NO!" the owner of the voice, as I had now come to realize, was none other than a frantic-looking Yevan. She stood there in the middle of the hallway with her fists clenched so tight that I could see her knuckles turning white. "This- this is...!" her voice was shaking as she quivered in place. She looked like she was about to break down as Kuno and Akio side-stepped to avoid her impending tirade.

"... Memorial service?" her eyes glanced to the right momentarily as her pupils constricted in fear. Yevan kept her face glued in the direction of the other end of this hallway, twitching as she tried to maintain her composure. Akio exchanged looks with Kuno and gulped before switching their attention back at Yevan. However, they were a little too late when just as they were about to turn around, she pummeled past both of them and sent them barreling backwards to the floor.

I darted away just in time as Yevan stomped right by me. Through the sudden rush of air that she made as she tore through the hallway, I could make out her mumbling something out 'dead people' or something like that. I wasn't really in the mood to ask for more clarification since the SHSL Escrimador was known to have quite the temper on her.

"What the hell man, look what you've done now!" Another feminine voice cut through the air and I realized that we were not the only one standing there in the hallway anymore. The fearsome sukeban had arrived first at the scene just in time to catch Yevan marching off into the academic area of the school. She took a glance at what made Yevan upset and yelled back at Monokuma. "You just love to push our buttons don't you, asshole?"

"Eh? Whatever do you mean? Isn't it customary to hold something like this whenever someone close to you passes away? I mean this is what schools do, no?" Monokuma brought a paw up to his mouth in a little 'oopsie-daisy' pose.

"Um...," Kotone poked her head out from behind Makoto and spoke in a soft and hesitant voice. "That is true, but um...," She seemed quite unnerved when she took a gander at the centre of the garden area. The pictures of Hibiki and Kenta loom above the table, basked in the ominous glow of the ceremonial candles.

"Pretty sure what she's trying to say is that by you doing this, it seems pretty suspicious," Tetsu crossed his arms as Kotone went over to help Kuno and Akio up.

"Whaaaaaat? Do you really think so little of me?" Monokuma began to sweat profusely as he started shaking in an exaggerated fashion.

"Yes," All at once there was a unanimous vote by everyone present in the area.

"Wha-?!" Monokuma gasped in shock as he staggered back a few steps. "I- I- how dare you! I would never-!" he continued on with his pathetic charade but when he noticed that none of us were buying it, he simply hung his head in disappointment. "Aw shucks, you guys found me out! Upupupu, very well then, I guess I should just come clean about my hidden agenda for you guys today, huh?" he winked despite all the groaning we were giving out.

"But um, before we can do that however... we're gonna need a full cast. The ones who are still breathing, that is," Monokuma eyed the students who are present and I couldn't help but feel my eyes follow the trail of his gaze. Using the moment's silence as a short breather, I managed to assess the identity of each individual currently in the hallway. I spot Akio straightening out his outfit as usual and Kuno is pre-occupied with wiping dust off of his shoulder. Makoto was tapping her foot impatiently with her arms crossed. Behind her I saw the towering figure of Tetsu who was glaring at Monokuma and a worried-looking Kotone who was clutching her fists tightly. "Oh wait, where did that haughty chick run off to now? Oooooh she is going to get punished so hard, I'll..." Monokuma started going red in the face as he... fantasized about it?

_I do not want to find out what goes on inside that bear's head._

"Well I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed, unless you're willing to break your own rule that is," Ryoka took quick, long steps as she walked over to us. It seems that she had just arrived along with a group of a few other students. "I mean you said it yourself in the announcement 20 minutes ago that a student is only required to show themselves at the garden before 7:30 am, right? And Yevan did show herself here before the time limit so she's pretty much not punishable, right?"

"She's right y'know. I mean it is yer own words afrall," Seijun looked like he had just dragged himself out of bed as he mumbled with a drowsy tone. His long black hair looked awfully disheveled and I think... I see a comb sticking out from the shoulder area? Boy he is definitely not a morning person.

"Hey, what are you? Some kind of walking cliché?" Akiko chirped as she plucked the comb out of his hair... or at least tried to when it wouldn't budge. She then proceeded to yank it out with all her might and I could see the veins popping in her neck as she did.

"Here, let me help," Fujiwara adjusted his glasses and aided Akiko in her quest to free the comb from Seijun's dark locks. After a few good yanks, the comb finally came free... along with a few strands of Seijun's hair but he didn't seem to care and simply stepped into the garden with a dreamy look on his face. Now that he's stepped into the light of the garden's glass ceiling, I've only just noticed the dark purple tint in his hair.

A mild yawn filled the hallway as Kimiko rubbed her eyes. "I didn't really get much sleep last night with what's happened and all. I'm just glad that it's all over now," she took slow strides over to the garden and I saw her eyes go completely wide when she saw the gloomy table at the centre. "Are you kidding me right now?!"

"Upupupu! Nosiree, this is no joke! You guys are gonna have full-scale memorial service and I spared no expenses with the decorations this time!" Monokuma clambered up the table awkwardly and beckoned us to come forward. "Hmmm, we're only two people short of perfect attendance... but I guess an 86.67% turnout of alive students is still at an acceptable rate,"

Seeing the rest of the students slowly and hesitantly shuffle into the rows of chairs, I decided that it was probably the only choice I had and started to follow after them... only to bump into someone who hadn't even budged from the spot they were standing it. "Oh, I'm sorry Ryoka," I apologized by reflex. It was something that didn't even popped into my head and I said it unconsciously. However, something about her face made me feel a little worried. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at me, surprised. "Hmm? Oh, nothing," a faint red tint started forming at her cheeks as she did a slight bow. "Sorry, it's my fault. I just got a little distracted," she gave a smile and I responded back with a smile of my own before we parted ways. "86.67...?" was all I heard as her voice trailed off into the distance.

{=**_Mr. Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Monokuma shouted in an announcer-like voice as if he was hosting a game show or something. I looked around to my right and saw Fujiwara, the person I was seated next to, squirm around in the chair. The somber atmosphere of this supposed memorial service quickly faded away as it was replaced by glaring spotlights and flashy neon signs that seemed to have appeared from the ground. I turned my attention back at Monokuma and it seemed like he was moving his hand around behind his back, probably handling some kind of remote control or something for this fancy light show.

"Wow you weren't kidding when you said you went full-scale on this memorial service," Akiko looked around at the dazzling display in front of her in awe, completely forgetting about the original purpose of our gathering here today.

"Don't encourage that damn asshole!" Makoto shot her and angry look from underneath her shades and Akiko pouted back at her.

Monokuma cleared his throat to bring out attention back to the table and continued on with his little speech. "Anyways, as I was saying, I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you all here today," He tip-toed along the table as he scanned high and low for our reactions. When he saw that there was nothing to be seen, he simply dropped his shoulders and rubbed his shoulders. "Wow, tough crowd, huh?"

"Well, no matter. The show must go on after all. Today we are all gathered here to pay our respects for the dearly departed. I would like to start this event with a moment of silence, please," Monokuma bowed his head down and commanded us to follow suit with a wave of his arm.

"This is ridiculous," No sooner had Akio said that, loud metal music started blaring from the speakers where Monokuma would usually make his announcements from.

{=**_Sending This To You_**=}

This is the complete opposite of 'a moment of silence' and Monokuma knew very well that this is no accident. All of the screams and shouts from my fellow chair neighbours were completely drowned out by the sound of a very distorted electric guitar and the demonic screams of a girl blaring through the speakers. Everyone cringed and rushed to cover their ears up with their hands... well mostly everyone. I saw Makoto bobbing her head up and down according to rhythm but I guess I shouldn't really be surprised considering her personality type.

"Ahhhh the sound of silence! Such peace and tranquility is a blessing on a day such as this," Monokuma's voice suddenly grew loud as if he was talking through a megaphone to rise above the noisy volume in the garden. "Ok, time's up! No more silent moments! Now it's time to exchange your vows!" Monokuma's hand shifted again slightly behind his back and suddenly the loud heavy metal music ceased playing, returning the garden to its serene state once more.

"Um, Monokuma if I may say something?" I could barely hear the sound of Kotone's voice as my ears slowly started to adjust back to the more subtle volume of my surroundings. I saw Fujiwara cleaning his ears out with his pinky finger out of the corner of my eye but the ringing sound is still evident in my ears. "Isn't that something that people say during weddings instead of funerals?" Kotone continued with her question in a soft-spoken voice.

Monokuma looked taken aback as he gasped loudly. "Egads! Are you absolutely sure?" he dropped his head in disappointment when he realized that all of us were shaking our head in defiance. "Oh... I see then. It seems I've got my databases mixed up, upupupu...," He blushed and scratched the back of his head innocently. "Oh well, it doesn't really matter anyways. Let's cut to the chase then, here's what I mean when I said I spared no expenses on this memorial service," with a sly smile Monokuma kicked down the portraits of Hibiki and Kenta, despite shouts of it being 'disrespectful' and 'profane' from the members of his audience, and finally revealed the remote that he was hiding behind his back as he pointed to somewhere behind the table and clicked it.

{=**_Living To The Fullest_**=}

The ground started to shake all of a sudden and somebody shouted "EARTHQUAKE!" but I wasn't really sure whose voice it belonged to since everybody started to scramble off of their chairs and onto their unsteady feet. I looked around frantically and saw Seijun trying to keep everyone calm by yelling. I don't need to tell anybody that that's not quite the effective technique to settle a crowd down.

Akio looked as bored as ever and simply sat down in his chair amidst all the shaking. He seemed to have quite the talent of balancing during all the chaos... maybe he is also the SHSL balancer? I quickly shake the thought of someone having more than one talent out of my head as I realized that I was getting distracted from the matter at hand.

Monokuma on the other hand was unexpectedly calm as he sat down with his legs crossed on the table. His eyes were closed and made him look like he was meditating or something. When the rumbling started to die down, I thought things would finally get a little calmer, but no... I was completely wrong as more freaky stuff seemed to happened.

By now, we realized that all this extreme shaking was happening because the ground behind the memorial table somehow seemed to have open up to reveal two large gaping holes that were square in shape. They looked to be about the size of a tree stump of a large cherry blossom tree or something but when they started to pop out from the unknown abyss, I realized that Monokuma wasn't done torturing us mentally yet.

What rose from the ground appeared to be unrecognizable and grayish-white in colour but after a while, my brain finally processed what it is that I'm actually seeing. The two large figures slowly rose up from their secret compartment in the ground and I was able to make out that they were statues- statues of our deceased classmates. The ground finally stopped shaking with a loud _"Clink!"_ as the statues of Hibiki Yukata and Kenta Shintaka reached its final position above ground.

I felt my jaw drop as I let out a loud gasp. As if to add salt to injury, the large stone statues of Hibiki and Kenta weren't just posed in a traditional greek sculpture kind of way. Instead, Hibiki's statue had her posed with one hand stretched out high above her head. A pair of scissors was sculpted inside her stone hands and its edge was sharpened to a fine point as it resembled an arrow pointing up to the ceiling. Kenta's statue however was positioned to make it look like he was reaching up for something.

The statues were made to immortalize their final moments in life... and probably when they took the life of another. It took me a while to get over the fact that this is how Monokuma is making us remember our fallen friends. Surely there must be a limit to how far Monokuma will go to aggravate us, right? I mean, even he can't be that cruel, right? There has to be some humanity in that black heart of his...

"WHY?!" a shout had broken the silence that filled the air and everyone's heads turned to look at Fujiwara who was trembling. "Please... just... stop...," he was on the verge of tears as he tried his best to avert his gaze at the newly erected statues. Poor Fujiwara... I mean, he did just survive a traumatic experience with Yevan yesterday and now this.

"This is bad... oh boy. This is sooooo bad," Akio started rising from his chair and muttered something under his breath. He was starting to sweat profusely from the sheer absurdity of the situation. "This is bad, this is bad, this is bad," He started chanting this over and over as he brought his hands up to his forehead. In his unstable condition, he toppled his chair over as he dashed away from the memorial service while screaming something about a curse from the beyond.

His screams however, were cut short when he bumped into someone on the way out. Akio stumbled backwards and landed on his bottom for the second time today. He gasped when he reached the floor and immediately scrambled to get up, clutching at the nearest thing... which happened to be the pants of the deceased Hibiki's twin brother.

I guess they must've arrived during all of the shaking and craziness that I didn't hear them stepping into the garden. Tsubasa hadn't even bothered to look down at the bumbling Akio as his stare was fixed upon the statue of his sister. His eyes were dazed, as if he was in a trance and he's kept quiet this whole time. To his left however was a much more reactive Megumi. She bent over to help Akio up back on his feet.

Akio still seemed pretty out of his mind as he pulled his hand away from Megumi's grasp and ran away back to the gym, his footsteps echoed along the hallway floors. Our dramatic climax was cut a little short however when Monokuma decided to talk again. "Well, well, well, playing it a little close now, aren't we? You guys got here just a minute before my clock says 7:30 am,"

Megumi tilted her head in confusion. "Eh? But you don't have a watch Monokuma," she said, to which we all just face-palmed.

"I meant my internal clock, deary. It's never wrong, upupu!" Monokuma gave a gleeful chuckle at his retort to the pig-tailed girl. "Okay then, no punishment today I suppose," Monokuma faked a yawn to show boredom. "Everyone is diiiiiiii-," he dragged on his pronunciation of those words just like he did during the morning announcement. "-iiiiiiiismissed!" he finished his brief little announcement and was greeted by blank stares.

"What the hell, you telling me that's it?!" Tetsu raised his voice against Monokuma and pounded his fist into his other open palm.

"It's over, you all can leave now," Monokuma looked confused when we would not disperse.

"But what about our feelings?!" Kotone tried her best to argue. "I thought we were supposed to share our impressions of Hibiki, or at least express our condolences!"

Monokuma sighed and raised a paw up into the air as if to shut her up. "Please stop your righteousness act. It's not like any of you even knew her that well to say anything anyways. I don't want you to make judgments based on first impressions and prejudice, after all," he chuckled in delight when he saw how much he was tormenting us.

"Hey that's not fair! _I_ got to know her a bit more on the day of her death. More than anyone here, in fact!" Kimiko retorted but was met with stern looks from Makoto.

"Says the girl who cried wolf," she scoffed. "Don't think I'd already forgotten about your little confession back in the elevator ride to the gym. You seemed pretty relaxed for someone who's 'close friend' just died,"

"Hey! Take that back!" Kimiko yelled back at the sukeban despite being half her size. Either she really had some guts or was getting a little bit carried away by her emotions.

The two of them continued bickering on as Fujiwara looked around nervously. "Hey, uh... Monokuma?" He voiced out hesitantly in a quiet tone as his eyes fell upon the solemn-looking Tsubasa, who was still stuck at his spot on the dirt. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He looked quite concerned as Tsubasa had not looked away from Hibiki's statue from the moment he entered. "You know... someone else who actually does have more of a connection to the deceased?"

Monokuma tilted his head to the side and brought a paw up to his chin before quickly jumping up once while snapping his paws once. "Ah! You're right! I _did_ almost forget something, hmm. Okay, gimme a sec while I configure something alright?" he turned around so that whatever he was doing with that remote control of his was not in our line of sight.

**_*Beep*_**

The notification sound rang in my pockets and it somehow echoed throughout the garden when I realized that everyone was also receiving the same notice from their ElectroiD. Rummaging my fingers in my pocket, I stuck my tongue out slightly out of habit as I fished out the small electronic card from my pockets. Apparently, Monokuma had sent all of us a new rule and I swiped the screen to unlock it, feeling a little uneasy at what he might come up with next.

**Rule 9: Lame and boring deaths by suicide will not be rewarded after a successful class trial.**

What... was I even reading? The fact that there was a 'lame and boring' category for death and murder was really pushing the limits... but then again, this _is_ a deranged, mechanical bear that's locked us all up in here we're talking about. Besides, there was something else about the new rule that I wasn't quite sure about.

"Hey, what's this about a reward? You never said anything like this back at the trial room," I stepped up in front of Monokuma to ask him about it.

"Why, I'm talking about your Monocoins of course!" Monokuma rummaged through his... back pockets? I didn't even know he had pockets underneath all that fake fur but nonetheless, he still produced a small sack of something that was jingling and tossed it at me. With my training and reflexes, I was able to catch it with a swift reach of my arm. The sack itself was no bigger than my palm but it felt quite heavy as I felt the contents move about in my grasp. It looked and felt like a bean bag or something similar, until I peeked inside at least. What I found instead, was a bundle of shiny gold coins... with the face of our headmaster etched into every single piece.

"One for you!" Monokuma went around tossing sacks of gold monocoins here and there for everyone to catch. Fujiwara seemed to be unable to focus and got hit in the noggin with prosperity."You get monocoins! _You_ get monocoins! Everybody gets a sack of monocoins!" Monokuma gleefully shouted as he kept giving out his own brand of currency from his pockets.

"And what the hell are we supposed to do with these? There're no vending machines around here anyways. Besides, I'd just give it a good punch and get a free drink," Makoto scoffed as she held two bags of coins in her hands. I'm guessing one of it is for Yevan, since she is pretty much the only one not put off by the mohawked girl's behavior.

"Hey, hey! What're you saying now? If you break the vending machine then it's punishment time for you, little lady!" Monokuma wheezed out as he tried to contain his anger. His face however had betrayed him as he steadily grew more red and flustered with each breath. "_These_ coins are special. They won't work for anything else other than the mono-mono-machine!" He took a deep breath to calm himself down and in an instant his voice changed to his perky self again. "It's the machine in the toy store room of the dormitory area, in case you're wondering. I was feeling generous so you guys may as well have a little fun with some junk I found lying around,"

"Seriously, that's our reward?" Kimiko looked at Monokuma in disbelief and Makoto was back at her throat saying something like 'I knew you were just in it for the money!'

"Upupu... not at all. Just so you know, something that was previously locked is now... unlocked! See you next murder time! Kyahahaha!" Monokuma burst out laughing as he dove under the table cloth of the memorial table. Makoto and Kuno dashed forward in his direction and with a brief moment of teamwork, flipped the table upside down... revealing nothing but grass and soil underneath it. It seems that Monokuma had disappeared into one of his many trapdoors again.

{=**_Box 15_**=}

"Alright, let's get to investigating then!" Seijun called out as he rubbed his eye gently. He seemed to have finally woken up despite being groggy throughout the whole ordeal. He stood up straight and his hair appeared to have been perfectly combed by now.

"Eh? When did you get all cleaned up?" Akiko cried out as she was surprised by Seijun's sudden change in behavior.

"Justice waits for no one! Now, let us split up and search the entire campus area!" Seijun called out enthusiastically and quickly turned around. He marched off into the academic building and left all of us hanging with our mouths open.

"... Okay... that was weird? But I guess if we're gonna start exploring again, we might as well start with a full stomach," Fujiwara trudged off rubbing his head where the sack of monocoins had hit him and fixed his glasses. He was about to make his way into the concrete hallway when he happened to walk past a frozen figure. "Um... I'll whip up something special for you, okay Tsubasa? What is it that you'd like for today?"

He was only met with silence as Tsubasa seemed to be unwavering from his spot. "... Okay, then... see you in the cafeteria... I guess?"

"Hmm, nah. I don't really feel hungry just yet. Actually I don't think I even feel like eating at all... not while we're still here anyways...," Kimiko casted a weary gaze back at the table with the knocked-over portrait and shifted her glance over to the statues. "I think I'll join Seijun first for the investigation,"

One by one we all started filing out of the garden, leaving behind the memories of our deceased friends... or rather our _tarnished_ memories. I really doubt anyone would want to stay here any longer and having to look at the undignified statues Monokuma had brought out. The hallway was filled with echoing footsteps that lead to the left and right exits of the garden. All of them bypassing a certain someone who still had not budged.

"Um...," I spoke up hesitantly, not sure what to say to someone in his state. "I don't think you should keep staring at her like that," as expected, Tsubasa did not respond and kept his glassy eyes fixed on the memorial statues. Even though Monokuma's weirdly planned memorial service didn't exactly rattle our spirits... it was enough to break at least one person. I couldn't handle watching Tsubasa so unusually quiet... it just felt weird if he wasn't barking up other people's business.

I left the garden and stepped into the hallway, having no appetite due to recent events... I guess I should head out to help them search the school building. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the familiar twin trail of light brown hair and quickened my pace to catch up with her. "Hey... are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine," came the brief and concise reply from Megumi Tsuji. That was... a little bit cold. Did I... do something wrong? She didn't even turn to look at me when she said that.

"I was just wondering, I mean you did hurt yourself yesterday,"

"Mmm, I'm okay," She paused for a moment before resuming "Let's check out the faculty door, yeah? It was closed before so maybe it's opened now," She gave me a small smile before speeding up her steps and disappearing past the doors that lead into the school building.

... Why does something like this always happen to me?

* * *

**a/n: Alright, turns out the memorial service wasn't going to be all sappy and sad but what did you guys really expect from someone like Monokuma. Anywho, this update originally included the exploration of the second floor, which I am halfway trough writing at the moment, but I decided to post this up by today since well, it's pretty much the deadline and I want to have something up at least. Don't worry, the exploration scene shouldn't take long to finish and I'll have it up first thing in the morning (it's midnight here) so this pretty much means a double update! (I know I've promised that before...) and with GinMerric's chapter, I guess you can call this a triple update week, yikes! Also, I've received the votes for the next chosen FTE individuals and I gotta say, I'm a little surprised ;)**


	11. Ch 2: Did It Hurt? - Exploration 1

_***EDIT: Whoops! I forgot to upload the second floor map along with this update, but rest thee well as it is now on my profile. :P_

**a/n: Alright, first off, I just want to say that I've passed out recently and had to stay overnight in the hospital due to overexertion (Turns out 2 hour naps and caffeine boosts are not sustainable enough to replace actual 8-hour regular sleep, who knew?) and that's pretty much why I've been awol for a couple of days. I actually had about 5000++ words written into this update when it happened and by the time I came around and was discharged it was way past my deadlines :/**

**Anyways, this exploration scene is actually much bigger than I had anticipated so I had to split it up into two parts. GinMerric has finally finished both parts of his updates (with a broken keyboard too! So he had to write the remainder on his phone) and I'll be substituting the second part of this chapter for Gin this week while next week both updates will be the files that I've received from him.**

* * *

**Day 4: Exploration**

**Location: Academic Building, 2nd Floor.**

* * *

{=**_Box 15_**=}

**_*THUMP*_**

**_*THUMP*_**

**_*THUMP*_**

Whoa! What the hell is that?! Why on earth is this floor shaking?! Megumi and I had just arrived on the second floor of the academy when got to the faculty office's door on the floor below. Of course, our attention had immediately shifted to the shutters of the stairwell... or should I say lack thereof. It seems that when Monokuma had talked about unlocking previously inaccessible areas of the academy, he was talking about the second floor of the school building.

I gave the faculty office's doorknob a good twist but no dice. It was still locked and I'm guessing that this would perhaps be a reward for the next... trial. I shivered at the thought of another murder occurring here as Megumi called out to me from the middle of the stairs. Apparently, when I was busy checking out the door, she had already gotten a head start on checking out the second floor.

Seeing as there was no one else around and with this door still locked, I presumed that everyone must be investigating the newly unlocked floor and decided to follow Megumi up the flight of stairs... only to be greeted by more earthquakes as soon as I had set foot off of the stairs and into the second floor.

Actually, I don't think it's an earthquake as this ground-breaking vibration seemed to be somewhat rhythmic in nature... almost as if something was being slammed repeatedly? I gulped as my mind started to wonder about what this floor could possibly contain. Maybe... someone was firing rocket launchers into the wall for fun... that was a ridiculous thought but it seems that I had accidentally said it out loud.

"I don't think that's possible... unless this place has a shooting range or weapons testing ground or something," Megumi chortled at my silly comment and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I realized that I had sounded like a complete doofus in front of her.

Taking a few steps past the stairs, I arrived at the door with a huge "2" painted on it with sloppy red paint. As if it wasn't obvious enough that we were on the second floor, I twisted the doorknob and stepped into the new hallway for the first time. I don't know what I had expected honestly as it looked exactly the same as the previous floor with its dim lighting and notice boards filled with more papers stamped with the logo of Hope's Peak Academy.

"Yuuta, look!" I was startled from my observation of the current floor when Megumi pulled me to look at the door to our left. If we were in the floor below us, this room would have the label 'Nurse's Office' stamped onto the door's surface... however this door had the label 'Shooting Range' on it.

_... Wait what?_

"Shooting... Range?" My eyes lit up when I saw that combination of words. Could it be...? Was this really a room where my talent could shine?

"Why is something like this in here? I was just joking about the whole shooting range thing...," Megumi looked at me with concern but gasped when she noticed I was smiling. "Um... are you alright?"

The joke that she had made earlier had completely slipped my mind as I was thinking of all the guns possibly being stored in the room in front of me. I haven't held a gun in my hand since... since... actually, I can't quite remember _when_ _the last time I had my hands on one was_. The closest memory that I could remember was the morning my acceptance letter arrived. As I remembered that day, the memory of my father resurfaced itself.

"Eh? Now you look a little bit sad!" Megumi stood on the tip of her toes and reached out to place a hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling alright? Mood swings could be a sign of underlying health issues... or puberty," her last few words made me blush brightly as I tried to break away from her grasp.

"I'm fine Megumi... just thinking about my dad and stuff," she released her hand from my forehead and pressed it on her own. I think she was trying to compare temperatures? Wow that blow to the head must have really did a number on her cognitive skills. I just hope it's not a permanent thing. "Don't worry about it okay? Let's just go in and check out what they have inside. I can't to get my hands on a few... fire arms,"

Megumi looked at me once again with confusion for a few brief moments before she realized. "Oh, right! SHSL Marksman, yeah sorry I almost forgot about that. Bang bang, right?" her moment of clarity was cut short when her smile slowly dropped. "Wait a sec; you're not one of those people who go gun-crazy and cause all kinds of trigger-happy havoc, right?"

"Oh, really? That's how you think of me?" I looked at her with a hurt expression on my face and I can only hope that I have some SHSL Hollywood Start talent in me as I tease her. In truth, she's not too far off about the whole gun-crazy thing... but she's not completely right either.

"If I say yes, can we go in and check out the room already?" Megumi saw right through my charade and stuck out her tongue. "I'm really curious as to why Hope's Peak Academy has something like this. I mean, I know it's supposed to be a very prestigious, world-classed school or something but...," her voice trailed off into silence as she grabbed the smooth, metallic handle of the door and gave it a twist.

The door swung open slowly... and I couldn't believe what I saw on the inside.

* * *

**Location: Shooting Range**

Rows and rows of guns were lined carefully behind a clear glass case. Firearms ranging from small pistols, revolvers and handguns to its much larger variants like shotguns and rifles were strewn about in display cases nailed to the wall on the far end of the room. I recognize most of these... particularly that familiar set of silver revolvers that rested in the middle of the grey gun rack.

_Smith &amp; Wesson, Model 686._

A traditional six-shooter revolver that's small in size, but don't let that fool you as this thing packs a powerful punch. In fact, this is actually my favorite type of revolver and boy do I have a lot of fond memories with this gun. Without even realizing it, I've already walked halfway across the room as I reminisced about all the times I've fired this baby in the past.

_Wait... baby? Oh boy, I think I know who's saying that..._

"Hey, Yuuta. Are you listening to me? Yuuta?" a voice that did not belonged to Megumi called out to me but I don't think I'm able to respond even if I wanted to. As weird as this may sound... it was as if the guns were calling out to me. I can only see what was going on in the room through my peripheral vision by now.

"Oh dear, what has gotten into that boy?" Kotone sighed as she dropped some papers on a nearby desk. It seems that she had gotten to this room first before us... or possibly was tasked with scoping this room out by whoever's in charge at the moment. "Do you know what's going on with him, Megumi?"

Megumi simply shrugged, rolling her eyes at my trance-like state. "I think he just has an unhealthy obsession with guns," She rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and went over to where Kotone was standing. "So what have you checked out so far?"

"Hmm, I can't really tell much from these papers. I think they're registration forms... or something like that. Probably to keep track of all the people utilizing this room and which guns were used and in what order. The funny thing is these papers are really, um... old!" She picked up some of them and held it in front of Megumi's face so she could see what she was talking about.

"Oh, wow. It's all yellow-ish and dusty! How old do you think these papers are?" Megumi paused for a moment to inspect the forms much more closely. "Hey... wait a sec, these dates are just from last month? That's... weird,"

By now, I had already reached the gun case at the other side of the room. I pressed both of my hands against the glass as I stared at its content intently. I wonder if...

_*Click*_

Of course, the case is locked. There was no way Monokuma would let us have something as dangerous like these now, would he? I wonder if breaking the glass would be considered as destruction of school property... wait, I think it actually is considered that.

{=**_Mr Monokuma's Lesson_**=}

"Breaking that glass is most definitely considered 'destruction of school property' and I highly recommend that you _do_ break it so I can have a little fun today!" A cheery voice rang out from behind me followed by two high-pitched screams. "Jeez Louis, if you girls scream like that every time I show up, I'm probably going to need hearing aids!"

Without having to turn around, I already knew who the voice belonged to. Not that I needed to anyways since I can sort of make out the reflection of Monokuma from the glass case. "What do you want, Monokuma? And how did you know what I was thinking about?" I spoke without facing him as I kept my gaze on the pair of silver guns on the other side of the thin glass.

"I'm not an esper if that's what you're implying. I've got eyes all around this room, heck I've got eyes all over the entire school if you haven't realized it by now. I _also_ saw the way you were looking at the gun case... you weirdo, so I know what you're planning to do," Monokuma gave me a weird grin and a wink. "Besides, all you have to do is just hit the button over there by the side of the wall," he pointed over to an area beside the case and I noticed something small jutting out next to it.

"What are you saying, Monokuma?" Kotone walked over to me and stood by the button, leaning in to inspect it. "You're willing to let us have dangerous weapons like this?! What if someone were to... were to...," her voice trailed off as she looked really scared all of a sudden. With a room like this, anyone could have access to an array of lethal weapons.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't be so quick to jump the _gun_, upupupu," Monokuma laughed alone at his own terrible pun. "If you would all please turn your attention over here," he then proceeded to point to the third wall between the glass case and the entrance door; the one that separated the classroom and the shooting range. I guess I must not have noticed it before but there was a long banner coupled with crudely written instructions. "All firearms are not allowed to be taken from the shooting range. If one passes through the door, you will be punished!"

"I hope you like my little voiceover job I did there, upupupu! Anyways that's about all the time I have left to entertain you guys. I've got people to see and places to visit after all. If you'd like to have a go at this, there's a control panel on the desk there somewhere that will activate the game for you," just as he promised, Monokuma disappeared underneath a pile of old forms and papers that lay right to the corner by the desk.

"Wait! You haven't even told us why this room is here in the first place!" Megumi tried to uncover the truth behind the matter but it was too late. Well it's not like Monokuma was going to reveal much anyways considering everything he's done in the past. Instead, I took this chance to sneak my way over to press the button and the glass slid open with a satisfying *shing!*

"Yuuta?" Kotone looked a little worried as I side-stepped beside her and made my way over to the now-open gun case. Oh boy, these girls are sure in for a surprise when _he_ shows up...

With a shaky hand, I reached into the display case and let my hand hover over the S&amp;W revolvers. I take in a deep breath and closed my eyes before firmly grabbing one of the pair with my right arm.

{=**_Box 16_**=}

"Hello there, ladies...,"

"Um... Yuuta? Are you feeling alright?" a squeaky and feminine voice rang out from behind but I don't think I recognize them. Digging around in my memories, I seem to be able to recall the certain faces that the voice belonged to, but I doubt I've actually met them in this state of mind. Feeling the need to strike while the iron's hot, I raised my gun-toting hand into the air as I did a 180 degree swivel with my feet.

Right before my very eyes were a pair of two stunning women. One of them had lavender hair and a face so beautiful; I think I might've blinked a couple of times in disbelief! She looked like some sort of angel sent from heaven... if I find out that that whimpering sack of meat hadn't hooked up with a girl like that, I swear I'm gonna punch him in the gut for this.

The other one was kinda plain looking: regular brown eyes, regular brown hair, and regular cutesy-girl height. She was pretty much average but I gotta admit, she's got a certain girl-next-door kind of charm to her. But that's not enough for a guy like me though. Having scouted my potential prospects, I sauntered over to the more attractive of the two.

"I'm alright as long as you're the one calling my name, sweetcheeks," the lavender-haired girl's eyes grew wide and her cheeks had started to go red. "I feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here. You seem to know who I am but I haven't the slightest clue who you are... I think your name start's with a K.. Ka... Kagami, right?" this only caused the poor girl to blush even more as she retreated behind the blonde-brunette.

Oh... whoa! I just realized the look she was giving me. It was a glare so intense I could feel chills running down my back. Whatever this pig-tailed girl's problem was, it was none of my concern as I walked over to the desk and leaned against it. "No offense, deary, but you're kinda like plain ol' sushi with a small slice of cucumber in it. Your friend there, on the other hand is like a full bento set complete with fancy and generous serving of top-quality unagi,"

"Wha-?! Hold up right there Yuuta, that's just rude!" the brunette lashed out at me and dragged her pretty friend with her. "I don't know what's gotten into you but that's just pushing it,"

"Yeah," the pretty one poked her head out from behind her suddenly aggressive friend. "If you keep saying things like that then Megumi might get jealous!"

"Wha-?! I am not jealous of this... punk!" the girl known as 'Megumi' pursed her lips and crossed her arms to show that she was not interested but the pink tint forming on her cheeks is a dead giveaway that she clearly _is_ affected.

_Huh... Megumi, is it? Weird..._

"Yuuta, this isn't funny anymore," the lavender-haired girl stepped out and I can hear Megumi grumbling something like 'when did it even start being funny?' under her breath. "Please stop this game right now, ok?"

I gave her a playful smile as I switch the empty gun into my other hand and brought my now free hand down to the table to use as support as I edged closer to her face. "Sorry, but that command is a no-go for this guy. I've mostly been the dominant personality for a few years now but lately I've been given the boot by Mr. Herbivore over here," I brought the gun up to my head and gestured with it.

"What... are you talking about? Who's Mr. Herbivore and what boot are you referring to? And please, not in front of Megumi!" she batted her eyelids as she pulled her face away from mine.

"Why 'not in front of Megumi'? He can do whatever he likes with all the girls here," Megumi turned her head away as she retreated from our conversation. Shit, I didn't mean to break a little girl's heart or something... although the title 'SHSL Heartbreaker' does sound awesome...

"Hey there... Megumi, was it? Look I'm sorry if I upset you are anything but I've been 'sleeping' for like a few months now I think? Not too sure since Herbivore hasn't switched with me in a while. Don't blame him for anything that's going on now, okay? He's got absolutely no control over this once he's got a gun in his hands," I extend my equipped hand out to Megumi and aimed the gun at her.

"Hey! Don't point that gun at me! Even if it's not loaded, jeez," she quickly ducked and just when I was about to retract my arm, the sudden shaking of the ground caused me to lose my grip on the gun I was holding. Shit, looks like I'm going to 'sleep' again.

**_*THUMP*_**

{=**_Box 15_**=}

"Eh? Wasn't I just standing in front of the gun case just now?" I blinked rapidly as my vision seemed to have just changed instantaneously. I looked up to Megumi and Kotone but they were just staring at me... really invasively. I felt like a side-show performer or a test subject with the way they looked at me up and down with a piercing stare.

I noticed that my arm was stretched out mid-air and when I looked down; I saw the answer that I was looking for. The Smith &amp; Wesson revolver which I was about to grab was now lying there on the floor. As I alternated my view between the gun and my hand, my brain made the connection that my more... assertive side has made his appearance.

"Oh... I see you guys have met him. Um... before we go any further, please let me explain that this only happens when I hold a gun in my hands. I guess in retrospect I should probably have told you guys that before taking it out of the case," I sheepishly brought my hand to the back of my head and smiled apologetically... but they still stare at me like I'm some kind of abomination. "I was just really excited to hold a gun in my hand once more?"

I wasn't sure if they're buying my excuse as I recall my failure from before with Megumi. Kotone however simply smiled and bent over to pick the gun up from the floor. "Well, let's just put this away then before you... um... get caught in a love triangle," she chuckled as she carried the silver gun over to the case and hung it in its rightful place.

"Yeah, dissociative personality disorder is a serious issue so I guess I can let it slide," Megumi frowned for a few moments, thinking that I did not catch it in time before putting on a gentle smile.

"Let what slide?" I asked her, curious to see if I might be able to pick out a few details from the time when my brain was all foggy. It's not some split personality thing like she's saying since I can remember some of the stuff that happened... but it's just really foggy and vague.

"Oh, nothing," she walked over to the door and passed right next to me on the way. A brief sensation of pain shot up my arm and I yelped out loud in an unmanly voice as I realized that she had given me a slight pinch on my hand. "Nothing at all,"

* * *

**Location: Weapons Testing Room**

"Wow, this place is a mess!" I blurted out the obvious as I took a gander at the piles and piles of papers littered throughout the floor. The room that I had stepped in had a metallic *clank* as I took a few steps in. For a room that was labeled as 'weapons testing' there sure seemed to be a lot less weapons than I had anticipated, in fact there was no weapons at all in this room.

"I think this mess itself is the actual weapon," Kimiko replied with a generous amount of snark as she popped out of a pile of papers, giving Megumi and I quite the scare.

Once Megumi calmed herself down she went over to help Kimiko out of the huge paper pile. "What are you even doing under all of this?" there was even a piece of paper stuck in her hair too.

"I thought there might've been something interesting in one of these piles but they're all redacted. I can't even read a single one of these," as she spoke, I reached down to pick up one of the papers and all I saw was line after line of black highlighter. It was the same case with several other papers I found lying next to it.

Whoever had been using this room definitely did not want anyone else to find out what sort of weapons they were developing, probably in a hurry too. I held the paper up under the light, which was really dim and was casted from a blue-tinted bulb, bathing the room with a blue hue. The paper itself was still not readable under the light.

There was one thing, however, that all of these pages had in common. They all had some kind of watermark on them which I determined was only viewable when placed under the light. The watermark looked like a... wheel, I think? Or maybe it was just a huge asterisk of some sort. The censored part of the document is making it harder for me to identify the shape.

"Hey, can you guys come and take a look at this?" I called out to the both of them as I walked over to where the two of them were busy going through some papers. As I brought the paper up to them, Kimiko quickly scrambled up to her feet to take a peek at the item in my hand and Megumi followed suit albeit at a calmer pace.

"Hmm," Kimiko stood directly beneath it as I held my hand high up. Her short stature made it easier for her to view the hidden watermark under the paper. "Is that a circle...? Or a... ring, maybe?" she shrugged after a while and gave up. "I dunno, can't really make it out with all the black lines in the way,"

Megumi had to bend over slightly to see what Kimiko was talking about and after a brief moment of silence, she gave a distinct 'hmm'. "I think that's like... a target reticule?"

"What?" Kimiko and I both asked that at the same time as we narrowed our eyes at her.

"Well... you can sorta see the circular ring over here at the centre, right?" she traced a finger along the faint circle on the paper in slow strokes. "It's like one of those things you see in first-person-shooter games, you know? Like when you aim at the enemy and that little ring with the 'X' shape inside of it shows up?" she pointed over to the middle of the ring and I could make out an asterisk-like shape in it.

"See, there's the crosshair right there. It looks like two 'X's overlapping each other diagonally," she explained the double-cross shape further and Kimiko and I nodded our heads in unison. "And if you look back at the ring, you can sorta make out more lines bisecting it in a cross shape... just like a target reticule!" she finished her presentation on the mysterious logo in a happy tone.

"But usually there's only one cross shape as the crosshair, rather than 2 of them," She tilted her head and stared at the ceiling as she pondered this weird anomaly.

"... How could you even see something like that?" I asked her with a mouth that's hanging wide open. It's funny now that I can clearly see the logo after Megumi showed it to us when before this I couldn't even make heads or tails of the image. "You must have some really sharp eyes, wow!"

Megumi raised an eyebrow at me as she looked back down from her daydreaming state. "Actually, I'm surprised that you _couldn't_ see it. It's quite obvious, isn't it? After all, we did just arrive here from the room across the hall... which was full of paraphernalia that includes a targeting system in its operation," she gave a smirk and I could hear Kimiko giggling.

"Maybe Yuuta here needs to borrow Fujiwara's glasses!" she joked at my expense.

"Hey! That's not fair. You couldn't even see it in the first place too, you know... and besides I don't think Fujiwara has a spare?" I frowned as I tried to defend myself.

"Yeah, but at least I found something else that may be a clue or something," she shrugged her shoulders as she fished something out of her pockets. "This is the only piece of paper that actually has words on it and after checking the rest of these papers, I'm pretty sure that this may be the only readable clue in this room," she unfolded the paper and held it up as high as she could for us to read it.

"...,"

"Ne...,"

"Wo... l...,"

"...ro...ram...?"

{=**_New World Order_**=}

The paper that Kimiko had in her hands, while not completely covered in black lines, was actually quite illegible to read. The uncensored words were stained heavily with a faint reddish-white substance. I found myself wondering if it could in fact, be blood...

Besides that, there was really nothing else about the paper that was remarkable other than the fact that this one did not seem to have the watermark that was stamped on all of the papers in here. There was also the fact that the paper was also a bit yellowed at the edges and it felt a little crusty too as I reached my hand out to test its surface.

"Designed by... I can't really make out who this person is. It's all smudged with red ink and stuff," Kimiko voiced out and I prayed that she never loses that innocent mind of hers. "I think this part here makes out the word 'Hi' and over here, I think it says 'Fu' and 'Saki' over there," she pointed over to the bloodstained paper, carelessly tracing her hand all over the reddened surface.

"Why are we even bothering to check that? I mean, does it even say anything about our situation?" Megumi leaned in really closely to the paper as she ignored Kimiko's observation. "... next-gen... virtual reality software?!" she gasped as she took a few steps back in horror.

"What does that mean? Like people can put those high-tech sci fi helmets with all those clunky wires sticking out to experience some sort of 3D gaming world? Sounds a little too far-fetched to me... I mean you'd think we'd hear about that kind of news online and everyone would be talking about it but I've never actually heard such a thing like that before," Kimiko spoke as she twisted the paper around and proceeded to read it.

I looked over to Megumi, who was staring at the paper with wide-open eyes. "Are you okay?" I tried to reach out to her but she turned to look at me with the same blank stare.

"Oh... yeah, I'm fine," she shook her head for a bit before turning her attention back at the paper. "Um... but it does sound like a really cool idea, right Kimiko?"

"'Ya'... 'Ke'... 'Suda'...," Kimiko was still trying to read past all the bloodstained letters on the paper when Megumi had asked her about that. "Hmm? Oh yeah, I guess it would be cool and all, but for now I'm pretty sure this concept should be confined to games and movies," she gave a half-hearted shrug as she went back to deciphering the written words.

"Hey, how did you even find something like that underneath all of this mess?" Megumi asked again.

"Patient's brain... avatars... uploaded... designed to be... completely authentic... breakthrough in rehabilitation...," once again, Kimiko was still in the middle of making out the words on the paper when she looked up and shrugged. "It's probably an occupational hazard, I guess. When you've got like a dozen scenes to shoot and more than half of them are for different films and TV productions, you kinda have to learn how to power read through hundreds of script pages in a few min-,"

She stopped her speech abruptly in mid-sentence when she looked up at us with a concerned look on her face. "Guys, listen to this! It says here that whatever this virtual reality stuff is, it's already completed the early testing stage and should be relatively safe for humans to use, though there are still a few more complex commands that have yet to be tested out... but this isn't even the best part yet!"

Megumi turned to look at me and I did the same. "Well, what is it then?" we both ask in a 'hurry up' tone.

"This program... wait for it... was designed by the SHSL Programmer, Neurologist and Therapist! It's by us!" she shouted out in excitement as she looked expectantly at Megumi and I. "Ok, yeah, not _us_ exactly but like, other Hope's Peak Academy students! Do you think there are more of us here than we originally thought?"

Megumi tilted her head again as she processed this new information. "Hmm... I'm not sure about that... Maybe it's just a trick left behind by Monokuma?" she gave a little shrug and I could see Kimiko frowned from the corner of my eyes.

"Awh, why do you have to be so pessimistic!" she pouted as she tossed the paper down to the ground and stomped her way out of the room.

Megumi turned to look at me after we both heard the door slam shut. "I didn't mean to be so... cynical, I guess? I was just wondering how on earth three high school students could have created something so sophisticated. I mean, where do they even get all their components from? Who's their manufacturer?"

I sighed as I started to walk towards the exit, beckoning Megumi to follow me. "Sometimes, you can be a little bit too... uptight, I guess. It doesn't hurt to just entertain our imaginations, you know," I think this is the first time I'm lecturing someone and all I saw was more eye-rolling on her part.

**_*THUMP*_**

* * *

**Location: 2nd Floor Hallway**

{=**_Box 15_**=}

"Oh, did you finish checking out the shooting range, Kotone? Any news to report?"

"Yes, I just did. As for news, not really,"

Two voices instantly came into earshot as I stepped back out into the hallway. Looking down the long stretch of a hallway I see Kimiko walking over at a brisk pace towards the now duty-free Kotone who was standing in front one of the classroom doors. The smaller girl peeked behind her and stuck out her tongue when she saw Megumi appearing from the weapons testing room.

"Well actually...," Kotone brought a hand up to her chin as she smiled gleefully. "I did find something else in the room but I don't think it's very vital to our plight as of the moment,"

At this point, every little bit helps and I don't care how small or irrelevant the clue is; if it takes us one step closer to getting out of here then I definitely do not want to waste it. I quicken my pace over to the two girls to get a better listen at their conversation.

"I found a list of addresses in the room. It was actually stuck underneath the table leg so my guess is that it was probably used as a wedge to balance it out," Kotone went on. "That's what I meant by it not being very vital to our situation as I don't see how something that's used to straighten tables could be of any help to us,"

"That's a bummer," Kimiko sighed as she proceeded to peek into the classroom. "Hey who's that in there? And why are they venting out their frustration at the window?"

"Oh, that's just Makoto trying to see if any of the windows are loose. She said that this is supposed to be the last classroom on this floor for her to check when I saw her just now," Kotone mused as she too, turned her attention into the figure in the classroom.

By now, Megumi had caught up with us and asked me what she had missed. I gave her a non-committal wave of my hand as I told her that she didn't miss much but she was persistent.

"Did you find anything else in the shooting range, Kotone?"

Upon hearing her name, Kotone turned around to answer. "Oh, yes. As I've said before to Yuuta and Kimiko, I found a list of addresses stuck under one of the table leg. The strange thing about it that I'd noticed is the fact that they were not just local addresses but also included various addresses from all over the world like America, Europe and China,"

"What does that even have to do with anything?" Kimiko absently asked as she kept her gaze locked to the window. "Uh-oh, I think the punkette's coming this way... and she doesn't look too happy!" she gasped as she stumbled unsteadily backwards from her view of the classroom.

"Hmm... that's odd, I haven't heard of Hope's Peak expanding their intakes to international students..." Megumi mused to herself as she walked further down the hallway when all of a sudden, the classroom's door swung wide open.

This time however, Megumi managed to sidestep just in time before the door met her face. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," she rested a hand on her hips as she scolded the door.

"Whoa, what's up with twin-tails here? I think she's gone bonkers when she hit her head back in the trial room," Makoto narrowed her eyes in disgust as she referred to the girl who was talking to an inanimate object.

"Any luck with the windows?" Kotone chimed in after she gave a weird look to Megumi.

"Nah, everything's boarded up just like downstairs. I gave most of them a good, solid punch but it's no good; there's not even a scratch on them. Whoever bolted up all the windows sure used a really sturdy material," Makoto scratched at her ear as she relayed the information that she had gathered to us.

"Well, yeah that makes sense. I mean, what would be the point of kidnapping us all here if we can just sneak out the windows," Kimiko agreed with Makoto's statement. "Maybe... we'll find another way out of here instead of the windows? Or maybe we there's a loose metal sheet on the next floor?"

"Um... I don't think windows would be a viable option once we get to higher floors...," Megumi had finished with her rant towards the door when she rejoined the group.

"Oh, right! I forgot about that," Kimiko stuck her tongue out. "But... maybe we can fashion a rope using bedsheets like they do in the movies?"

"Do you think that this is a game or something? That plan will never work, not with the bigger students anyways," Makoto rolled her eyes as she dragged her feet towards the point where the 4 separate hallways met and we quickened our pace to keep up. "Besides, who's to say Monokuma won't just show up and cut the rope while we're all dangling outside like that,"

"Dangling out like what? Did you mean 'hanging out'?" a figure suddenly darted from the southern hallway, giving Kotone quite the scare as her scream rang out through the entire 4 corners of the 2nd floor. "Oh my god! You could be a voice actress that specializes in horror projects!" the unknown girl shouted as she plugged her fingers into her ears.

"Don't scare me like that!" Kotone breathed a huge sigh of relief when she realized that no imminent threat was upon her. "Oh... it's just you Akiko. Please don't do that again,"

Akiko grinned and held out both of her hands in a playful peace sign as she giggled at her little prank. "Oh, I can't promise you that, Kotone. Maybe just for today but who knows what'll happen tomorrow!" she giggled even harder when she saw the worried look Kotone had on her face.

"Alright, alright, you guys can have your little prank wars later. Akiko, what did you find at your side of the search?" Makoto rubbed the bridge of her nose as the black-haired girl's antics was starting to test her patience.

The perky and light-hearted behavior of the SHSL Billiard's Player had suddenly vanished just as abruptly as she had made her appearance. "Jeez, way to kill the mood here. And I was just trying to be the plucky comic relief, you know? Too much tension is bad for you!"

A groan escaped from Kimiko's lips as she mumbled under her breath. "Statistically speaking, the rate of death for the comic relief type character is pretty high in horror movies," she snickered as Akiko looked at her with confusion.

"That's enough! Just spit it out already, if you know what's good for you...," Makoto balled her right hand up into a fist and gently pounded it on her left palm, signifying a more physical approach at the conversation if Akiko didn't hurry up.

"Eep!" came the shocked reply as that certainly got Akiko's attention as she raised both arms as if to surrender. "There's nothing but more classrooms and a bathroom down the hall!" she was borderline screaming as spewed out those string of words in a hasty speed. "I'm sorry for trying to be nice, forgive me!" Akiko brought her arms up to her face in defense, her voice shaking with fear. "Please, forgive me already!"

Makoto dropped her fists and let it hung loosely by her side, but not before giving a huge sigh and rolling her eyes. "... If you don't stop wailing soon, I'll give you a good punch that'll send you flying into space," a short squeak was heard from the smaller girl before the hallway was once again filled with silence.

**_*THUMP*_**

... Except for that incessant thumping which... I swear sounds louder than before now that we're in the middle of the intersection.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Makoto winced as she recalled something. "I was the one who checked the classrooms! I already know about that, of course. What I meant was that other room, the one opposite the bathroom," she narrowed her eyes as she leaned over, hoping to intimidate Akiko.

"What other room?"

For a second there, I thought I saw Makoto's eyes twitch. Whether it was because of annoyance or just plain fury, I'll never know. "Don't play dumb with me, I'm talking about that 'Monokuma Fight Club' room, duh!"

"Okay, first off, we do NOT talk about Monokuma Fight Club!" Akiko yelled back with all her might.

"That sounds really familiar... but I can't quite place it," the SHSL Hollywood Star absently commented on the situation, a finger resting on her chin. "Oh! I remember it's that one movie, right? The one with Brad-," her words however were immediately cut off when the floor began to shake again with tremendous force.

**_*THUMP*_**

**_*THUMP*_**

**_*THUMP*_**

This time however, instead of just the regular series of thumping, a guttural roar seemed to emanate from behind us... it sounded pretty inhumane as the roar grew louder and louder with each repetition. I looked around and saw Kotone shaking in her boots. Her eyes darted around and were the size of frying pans as the beastly roar echoed throughout the hallway.

All of a sudden, there was a loud banging sound behind of us in the northern hallway and when we turn around, we saw the door to the right side of the wall swung open and out came the SHSL prosecutor with a serious look on his face. "Everyone, we must investigate the source of this horrible noise!" he darted further down the north hallway without even waiting for our answer.

"That is exactly what the first one to die says in the movies!" Akiko cried out before running after him. "And why am I blindly following what he says?" was all that was heard as she sped towards the source.

"Oh my, this room is a mess!" Kotone got side-tracked from the current urgency as she took a peek into the room Seijun popped out of and I saw exactly what she was talking about. The floor was strewn about with various weapons, guns and survival knives; basically, a full military arsenal was kept in this room... in a very disorganized manner.

I was about to step into the room when Monokuma suddenly popped out of thin air. Jeez, the amount of jump scares today itself are incredible. Monokuma stood on his bear toes and raised both arms out as if to bar me from entering and spoke in an angry tone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up right there, bub. Don't you have some investigation to do in the next room?"

"But... ,"

"No buts! Nope, none at all. You can't go this way, at least not until I clear up this mess first! Wouln't want you trip and fall onto a knife or something. Wouldn't that be a pretty sad view if one of you got speared in the guts? Upupupu, now go away and check somewhere else!" Monokuma stomped his foot as he slammed the door shut. The label on it read 'armory' which I guess would make sense... but why doesn't he want to enter just yet? Wasn't Seijun just in here?

"Hey, slowpokes, get your asses over here now!" Makoto's loud voice brought me out of my little day dream and I saw the whole group standing in front of an empty door further down. Some of them looked positively scared while other's just scratched their heads. I nodded in response and hurried over to them.

Upon nearing the mob of students, I noticed that the label here read 'training room', which I'm guessing is like a gym? Either way, the thumping sounds are getting louder as I took more and more steps towards it. The ground shook rhythmically in a steady pace and... I think I hear a faint grunting sound coming from inside? Whatever it was, the only way I could find out was to step inside to see it for myself...

Oh boy... this better not be something pg18 ...

* * *

**a/n: Oh dear, are hidden personalities becoming a trend in the Dangan Ronpa universe? especially in the 2nd chapter of both games too... And look at that, someone left a file concerning the Ne_ Wo_l_ _ro_ram lying around. And what could those other pieces of information be? They certainly seem too random to be connected. What could all this possibly mean? Stay tuned to Dangan Ronpa: The Courage of Hope and The Strength of Despair to find out!**

**Marketing hook aside, I want to elaborate a little on this new planned schedule. It's to give GinMerric some time to finish with his moving- He'll be starting the move this Friday and it might take him quite a while to set things up at his new joint. That is all, goodnight.**


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